Adrienne wanted a home in the Northeast Tennessee mountains. But one of the most important parts of her search was outside the house: she needed a flat driveway with room for her truck and camper.
That requirement sounds straightforward. It became the detail that helped us decide which homes were worth a closer look.
Starting with a home requirement
When Adrienne first contacted me, she had not settled on a particular town. She was open to a wide stretch of Northeast Tennessee because the type of home and her budget mattered more than a specific location.
So we sat down and talked through what she actually needed.
Her list was simple. She wanted a decent home and enough suitable parking for both her truck and her camper. A home could have appealing rooms and still fall short if the driveway did not work.
That gave us something concrete to evaluate as we searched.
Why the first homes fell short
Over the course of the search, we looked at roughly 15 homes, using a combination of in-person visits and virtual tours.
We kept coming up short. The homes we considered were not giving her the combination she needed.
That is a useful thing to remember when you are searching from out of state. Seeing more homes can help you understand the choices, but it also helps to know what would make a property unsuitable for your everyday life.
For Adrienne, the truck and camper were part of that everyday life. We kept that requirement in the search as we continued looking.
A home returned to the market
After Adrienne had gone back out west, a property came back on the market.
I looked at it and called her because it appeared to match the needs we had spent time discussing. By the next day, she had thought it over and texted me that she wanted to make an offer.
We negotiated back and forth and got the home under contract.
There was still an important decision ahead. The inspection report raised issues we had already anticipated, and Adrienne needed enough information to understand them before deciding how to proceed.
Getting clarity during inspection
My role at that point was to help her get clear answers.
I brought the relevant parties together so she could get information about the concerns and understand what was going on. Once she had that information, she was satisfied and chose to move forward.
She bought her Tennessee home.
The inspection part of this story matters because getting under contract does not answer every question about a property. Buyers still need the information that helps them decide whether they are comfortable proceeding.
What to take from her search
Before you begin comparing homes, write down one requirement that your next property needs to support in real life.
It might be space for a camper. It might be a place to work from home, an entry you can use comfortably, or room for equipment you use every week. Describe what that requirement means in practical terms so you can evaluate it during a tour.
For a camper, that means looking beyond a photo of a large driveway. Think about the space needed to enter, turn, park and leave. Confirm any parking restrictions for the specific property before relying on it for that use.
Adrienne's search came together when we found a home that appeared to fit her priorities and helped her get the information she needed to move forward.
What does your next home need to make room for?
Email me at [email protected] with the one requirement you want to get right. I'll help you think through the questions to ask before you spend time touring homes that may not fit.
DJ Slivka | Slivka Property Group | Keller Williams Johnson City
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