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If you plan to buy a new home, then you want to make sure that the roof is free of leaks, the foundation is stable, the wiring is the right type to serve your family’s needs, and so forth. Most of these things are covered when the professional comes out and performs a home inspection. But do you know what to look for beyond what a home inspection covers? Here is a quick checklist to help you out.

1. The relationship between the inside of your home and the outdoor property - How easily are you able to transition between indoor and outdoor living spaces? This can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy living in your home depending on your lifestyle. If you plan on doing a lot of outdoor entertaining, for example, then look for a home with French doors that lead to a patio.

1. The size of the rooms - The rooms should be the appropriate size to hold the furniture you have now while allowing extra space for new additions due to interior design changes or because of a literal new addition to your home, such as a new baby or a puppy.

1. The natural light - This has to do with the placement of the windows as well as amenities like a sun porch or a skylight. You can see how much natural light a home has to offer by asking your realtor to schedule visits for different times of the day and evening. While you can add windows to brighten a home, you may not want to put that much money into renovating a home you just purchased.

1. The house’s position on the property - Where the house is on the lot and which direction it faces will affect your utility bills that cover heating and cooling. A home that faces south will take advantage of natural light to make the house brighter. This is good for northern climates which have long winters. In hotter climates, houses facing north that have deep eaves will stay cooler.

There are other things to think about, like stairs, the driveway, and number of bathrooms. The above checklist is just to get you started as they are things that tend to universally apply to most homes, especially new homes in the Dallas Fort Worth area.