If you are on the market for a new home, there can be a lot of competing needs and wants involved in narrowing down your search. There are few things that can make certain houses for sale fall from the 'yes' category to the 'no' pile. Here are four deal breakers that might help cull your list of potential homes.

1. A Home's Location

Sometimes a home's location might be more trouble than it's worth. While there are neighborhoods that are 'up and coming', if a potential home's area isn't safe today, this might not be something you are comfortable with. Keep your commute in mind and where your life is currently happening as well. While you might love everything about the inside of a home, the location might not fit in with your lifestyle or work with your family's needs.

2. General Layout of a Home

While you might be able to make certain superficial changes in a home, renovating where a kitchen is located or moving bedrooms around can get tricky. Be sure to have a clear understanding of your budget when it comes to pre-move-in renovations. If not, you might be stuck living in a home as-is for a few years until you can make changes. It might be easier and less expensive to find a home with the space and layout you are already looking for.

3. Placement of a Home

The placement of a home when it comes to light and the neighborhood itself are things to take into account. If you love the interior of a home, but this is on a busy corner, this might not be worth it. Notice that homes within cul-de-sac or with extra space on a corner are priced higher because they offer up more with their home's placement on the block. Look at lighting as well so you can take into account if a home will be light and airy or more cave-like.

4. Pricing of a Home

If you are in a seller's market, you might not be able to make low offers and be taken seriously. While homes outside of your price range may have everything you want, you may need to hone your must-have list down to homes that are more within your budget. Knowing what you can afford is important so you don't waste time on homes that are outside of a realistic budget.

A good rule of thumb is to shop for houses with your head, not your heart. Once you find a practical home that fits your basic needs, you can then get excited about making a house a home. If you can keep in mind general deal breakers, you won't get swept up in other features that might mask real issues with houses for sale. To learn more, contact a real estate company like Krueger Real Estate.