Over the past 10 years we have bought 3 different homes in 2 different states and we have learned a lot in the process. Here are some tips that we have accumulated over the years about things to look for when shopping for your next home.

1. When you are looking at homes take your digital camera with you. Before you walk into each house take a picture of the MLS print out that the realtor has. You end up looking at so many houses that they get confused very fast. When we moved into our current home we thought there was a loft on the top floor... There wasn't. Not a big deal but it was just a feature of the house that we got mixed up with another home we saw.
2. Buying a house with a pool is a lot cheaper than buying a home and then putting in a pool afterwards. Save your time and the money and just buy a home with a pool and then hire a pool service. I had a pool for 3 years and I knew almost nothing about it.
3. Go to the house you want to buy many times at different times of the day. Go there at night. Does the grade and curve of the roads shine headlights into your master bedroom? Get there just before the evening commute. When traffic gets heavy do people start cutting through your street? Stop and look up. Are you in a landing pattern for the local airport?
4. Talk to your future neighbors. Knock on the door and introduce yourself and ask them about how the neighborhood is. They have nothing to loose by talking to you and you might just make a friend in the process.
5. Don't buy a home that was built in a housing boom. A lot of times the homes that were built in the housing boom were done in a hurry. This leads to shotty construction and future problems that may not show up for 10 years later.
6. Circle for running children. This is not a must have for a lot of people but with having 3 little ones we have to have it. When the weather prohibits the kids from going outside and burning off energy we have the kids run laps in the house. Our floor plan is in a circle so they can go from the entry, family room, kitchen, dining room, living room and then back to the entry with out stopping. Small thing but important for our little ones.
7. Is there a coat closet? (Assuming you live somewhere you use coats) Only 1 of the 3 homes we have owned has had a coat closet.
8. Are there towel racks? We have a neighbor that has a wonderful home but the design of the bathrooms didn't allow for towel racks. There isn't anywhere to even put a new one on a wall.
9. Do you live in a cold environment? Having a driveway facing west or south will help melt snow and ice off of your driveway. I shovel about half as much as my neighbors across the street.
10. Does you the home have a basement? Where does the black water go out to the street? The house we have now was dug about 3' too deep and if I want to put in a bathroom in the basement I am going to have to get a special pump because I can not rely on gravity to carry out the waste water to the street.
11. Look to see what windows open and if you can catch a breeze through the house. Nearly every window of our current house opens and a slight breeze gives a wonderful cooling effect in the house. This allows us to use nature for our AC and we only turn on our air a couple of days a year. Also a couple of well placed trees can make a huge difference in your monthly utilities.
12. Is there room for toys? Kid toys, big boy toys, bikes, and all the crap that you can't live without. I don't know what I would do without having a 3rd car garage.
13. Trust your heart. You know deep inside what house is right for you. Go with your gut.

Do you have any other tips for home buying?

This has to be the best invention for parents since disposable diapers. A few months ago we had problems with Grant waking up at 2am and going down in the basement to play Legos. He didn't get the concept of time nor how to read a clock. I then found the Teach Me Time! Clock. This clock will glow an orange, green or no glow at all. I have it set to go from the off state to the "orange glow" at 6:30pm. We put the kids to bed about 7:30pm so it also doubles as a nightlight. It stays orange all night and then turns green at 6:00am and then turns to the off state at 7:30am. So with Grant and Anna we told them that they can not get up until the clock turned green. I have to say that this has been an absolute life saver. If your children can't tell time this device is well worth the $40 for a good night sleep.

Here is a picture of the clock glowing green.