Choosing between two homes? Compare how each property fits your priorities, total costs, condition, and time horizon. These seven questions from The Daley Group at Douglas Elliman can help you organize the decision.
Updated September 27, 2026. Originally published March 10, 2020.
Start with your own location priorities: travel time to the places you use, access needs, property type, and the features that matter to your routine. Test the commute at relevant times and visit both properties. If schools are part of your decision, verify current attendance boundaries and programs directly with the school district using the exact address. Compare recent sales of similar properties rather than assuming any location guarantees appreciation.
Compare the surroundings using the same objective checklist for both homes. Review road access, traffic and noise during your visits, public planning records, and any association rules or costs that affect your intended use. Ask for recent comparable sales and marketing times with their dates and property types. Base the choice on your needs and verified property information.
If you’re seriously considering a home, you’ve almost certainly done the math on what your mortgage payment would be. But what about everything else? What is the insurance going to be like? Does one of them have a really expensive Home Owner’s Association? Is one way out of town and going to mean a longer (and more expensive) commute for you? Does one have an old air conditioner that is going to run up your bill? Are the taxes higher than your other options? All of these seemingly small things could impact your bottom line in a big way.
If a house seems like the deal of the century, be sure to find out the ages of all of the systems— even the ones that are working just fine. Sure, the air conditioner might be working right now, but if it is 15 years old and has an expected lifespan of 10 years, you are on borrowed time and are likely looking at an expensive repair in the not-so-distant future. Make sure you are looking at how soon you are going to need to replace things like roof, air conditioning and heating, etc.
Don’t miss a gem of a property because of something that could easily be fixed. If there is a home that has a dated interior, but is on a great lot, has a new roof, and is close to your job, maybe give it a second look. Compare cosmetic updates with matters that may be harder to change, such as the commute, structural condition, or whether the address meets your own school-program needs. Confirm attendance boundaries and programs with the district.
Is this house where you are going to be for the foreseeable future, or are you going to need more space in a few years? What about a job relocation? When you get that big raise are you going to want to upgrade?
Knowing your plan for the future will allow you to make the smartest investment possible. Of course things change and plans may ultimately change, but if you know you are going to want to be moving within 5 years of purchasing a home, your priorities (and your math) should change. Ease of re-sale should be a priority over your personal wish list, and getting a ballpark number of what closing costs will be on the purchasing and selling sides of the transaction will help you get a more accurate big picture.
We can talk about the dollars and cents until we are blue in the face, but buying a home is an emotional decision as well as a financial one. Yes, it is the biggest investment most people will ever make, but it is also the place you raise your children or laugh with your spouse or bond with your friends. It is your sanctuary from the world, and ‘home’ is a feeling as much as it is a place. It shouldn’t be the only thing that you consider when ultimately making your choice, but it shouldn’t be something that you completely discount, either.
ready to
make a move?
need to
sell first?
