If you’re ready to make your big move, start by evaluating the features of your current home so you know just what you’re looking for in your next one.

Having spent so much of our time in our homes, especially the last few months with the global pandemic, we’ve become quite familiar in our homes – and in some cases, maybe way too familiar. Before making your move, you might want to take a moment to reflect on what’s working and what’s not in your current home. For instance, the stairs you’ve climbed 10 times a day may have kept you fit while you’ve been home, but now you may be looking for a place that doesn’t have stairs? Perhaps that garden you could do without now has become something you definitely want?

We’ve come up with a list of questions to assist you in pinpointing what you like and don’t like about your current home so that you can find more comfort and pleasure in your next one. After all, isn’t home supposed to our safe haven?

What’s working and what’s not?

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you like your current home?

• What would you say is your home’s best quality?

• What’s its worst quality?

• Do you like the architectural style of your home? If not, is there a certain style you would prefer?

• What’s your favourite room, and what makes spending time there comfortable and peaceful?

What feelings come to mind when you’re at home when it comes to spaces and flow?

• Do you have enough space or too much space? Where could you use more/less space?

• What sort of layout suits your lifestyle? An open floor plan or more compartmentalized?

• Do you have enough or too many bedrooms and bathrooms?

• Do you like the number of floors, single or multistory?

• Are you happy with the windows bringing in natural light, or is it too sunny for your liking?

• Do you favour the fixtures and finishes?

• Is there a particular room you’ve never had but always wished to have, like a home office or a workout room?

How does your outside space affect your experience of home?

• If you have an outside space, do you enjoy spending time there?

• If you don’t have an outside space, do you feel like you’re missing out?

• Do you enjoy managing and taking care of an outdoor space, or do you feel burdened by it?

• Do you find your home appealing? If not, what needs to be improved?

• Do you have adequate parking?

• How much time and effort do you need to allocate for exterior upkeep?

Your neighborhood: community connections or peaceful privacy?

• Do you like your neighbourhood characteristics – walkability, nearby activities, density, noise level and neighbourhood involvement?

• Do you need to commute far for basics such as groceries or medical attention?

• Are you happy with the commute time?

• Are there enough activities going on around you, or are there too many?