5 Essential Tips for Choosing the Right Home for Your Family

Connecticut’s Gold Coast is known for many things, chief among them being the luxury waterfront homes that are perfect for those seeking a relaxed, comfortable lifestyle along Long Island Sound with great access to both New York City and New Haven.

Darien is located right in the center of the Gold Coast, featuring wonderful neighborhoods on leafy streets that wind along the craggy coast, ponds, and waterways, including the Five Mile River. Many quiet coves, peninsulas, and islands make this one of the most unique places to live along the Long Island Sound.

One of the greatest attributes of living in Darien, CT, real estate is the peaceful, small-town feeling that residents enjoy while being smack in the center of bustling Fairfield County. Darien has a population of just under 22,000 and is only 13 square miles in total, making it the smallest community on the Gold Coast. It is perfectly situated less than an hour by car or train from Manhattan and 40 minutes to New Haven.

Read on for five essential tips to help you find a new home in this extraordinary piece of Connecticut.

If you’ve decided to start shopping for houses for sale in Darien, CT, there are a couple of keys to a successful search. The first is finding the right real estate agent to represent you in the transaction. Another is to choose the right home for your family. Even though Darien is a small community, there are different neighborhoods and various types of homes available.

You will find that other factors will come into play, such as whether you plan to work from your residence and would need a dedicated home office. You should determine whether you want to live right on the water or in a home with a water view or water access. It’s important to go into the home buying process with a great game plan because, after all, this is a home that you’d want to spend many years enjoying. You might even be planning ahead and finding a home that will serve as a comfortable retirement home.

Even if you have a pretty good idea of what type of Darien real estate you’ll be looking for, you’ll still need to work with a talented real estate agent who has several years of experience in the community, particularly one with expertise selling luxury waterfront homes. Those homes are the most favored in the market, and it takes an agent with special talents to help clients find their dream home along the shore. Do your due diligence to find a realtor who will represent and advise you in every stage of the process.

When shopping for Darien, CT, real estate, one of the first decisions to make is whether you want a detached luxury single-family home or if you’ll be happier and more comfortable in a condo or townhome. Luxury single-family homes, particularly along the waterfront, are the most sought-after kinds of homes on the market, for obvious reasons. They offer plenty of space, particularly for growing families, and living on the waterfront opens up a whole different lifestyle that includes boating, swimming, and entertaining on the deck with spectacular views of the water.

Then again, some couples and busy professionals are happier living in townhomes or condos. While they typically offer less privacy and space than single-family homes, townhomes or condos also offer several advantages. They often require less maintenance to deal with, and they provide on-site amenities such as an exercise room, swimming pool and spa, barbecue space, tennis courts, rooftop deck for entertaining, and many other features. These types of residences are often cheaper than single-family homes as well.

Another huge factor to consider when shopping for the right home for your family is the cost. Before you begin the process of viewing homes for sale in Darien, CT, you need to determine how much home you can afford and set a budget. This will give you an idea of which neighborhoods to focus on and help you narrow down suitable homes to view. Your real estate agent will help you find properties that fit your budget and lifestyle needs.

While you might be tempted to shop outside your budget, it’s essential that you focus on homes you can afford. Along with having a monthly mortgage payment, you will also be responsible for paying property taxes and buying a homeowners insurance policy, as well as paying for maintenance costs and having cash on hand in case of an emergency.

An essential component of understanding your finances when purchasing a home is to get pre-approved for a home loan. Having a preapproval letter from a lender is a robust negotiating tool because sellers know you are serious about their property and that your financing is rock-solid.

Another important factor that goes into choosing the right home for your family is your lifestyle. You’ll want to shop for homes for sale in Darien, CT, that offer the kind of luxury and amenities that you’ve worked hard to afford and will allow your family to live comfortably. Look for homes that have enough living space, such as bedrooms, a spacious living room, and a roomy kitchen and dining room.

Other modern touches that make life in Darien special include a home theater, an exercise room or gym, a wine cellar, and a home office. Darien is the perfect community for those who can work from home, so you’ll want to make sure a home office has plenty of space and privacy.

If your goal is to live in a waterfront home with a private dock, keep in mind that these properties come with some unique challenges. While these are extraordinary homes that offer a wonderful lifestyle, you will have to keep up with maintenance and understand boating laws and regulations.

The process of choosing the perfect new house should be exciting, not overwhelming and nerve-wracking. If you’re ready to take the stress off your shoulders, let Becky Munro put her extensive experience in the market to work for you, especially if you desire a new piece of paradise in a waterfront home. With over $500 million in sales to speak of, Becky knows the ins and outs of the Darien, CT, real estate market and is ready to help you find a wonderful waterfront property to call your own.

_{*Header photo courtesy of Munro Team Real Estate}