Use this expert - backed guide to spot red flags , ask the right questions , and feel confident in your next place - buying decision .

Does location still count most ? Should you remodel your home to become your taste perception or for resale value ? Are starter habitation still a matter ? We all have plenty of questions about the ever - changing macrocosm of real estate . In ourAsk an Agentseries , we ’re partnering with experts atBetter Homes and Gardens Real Estateto answer your biggest questions about finding , purchasing , and sell a home .

Thehome - buying processis stressful enough as is , so feeling empowered about what ’s on your list of non - negotiables is of the essence to ease some of that strain . After mouth with a real estate of the realm expert , we discovered that almost every non - negotiable comes down to one element — location . scan on to learn more about what to look for and how to place potential issues the next time you tour a home .

Ben Fox headshot

Credit:Ben Fox

Ben Fox

For this installment ofAsk an Agent , we speak with Ben Fox of the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Journey to check what non - negotiables you should have on your lean when touring a home .

Ben Foxis the managing factor and conscientious objector - owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Journey , found in Bentonville , Arkansas .

Ask an Agent: What Non-Negotiables Should I Have on My List When Touring a Home?

To me , non - negotiables are only things that you’re able to not control . You have to see your budget and tolerance for potential ( or existing ) issues with the dimension . With this linear perspective , almost everything about the sign of the zodiac and property itself is technically negotiable , so it really comes down to your budget and margin .

A non - transferrable to me is something uncontrollable , like neighbor , a fussy street , noise from a nearby school , being ina inundation zone , etc . If location does n’t work , that ’s a non - negotiable . That ’s thenumber one thing — location . Everything else inside the firm and property is negotiable in term of what you want to deal with and what is in your budget .

If you ’re having a unmanageable time deciding if something about the home is a deal - breaker , require yourself if you may ascertain it at all . For example , you ca n’t control zoning or whether your neighborhood is extend to turn into a commercial-grade area . Or , if you ’re planning to utilize the attribute as a curt - terminus rental , check that that you ’re reserve to do so through your local municipality zoning regulations , as well as the property ’s POA and/or HOA . Other than these location factors , you could either choose to tolerate an matter or physically interchange it , based on your way .

This consultation has been blue-pencil for length and clarity .