Whether it's your first home or you're getting ready to downsize, purchasing a house is an exciting life decision that requires lots of consideration to ensure you find the perfect home. Here are some questions to consider before you start looking at listings:

• How large does the house have to be for my family to be comfortable?
• How many rooms and bathrooms are required?
• What size yard will accommodate children and pets?
• What are my current parking and transportation needs?
• What are the schools like in the areas I'm considering?
• How important is having a house close to work, local amenities, public transportation?
• In which areas of the city would you like to live? Are there areas that you want to avoid?
• Are there special considerations required for hobbies, guests, potential additions to the family, physical limitations or disabilities?

The answers to these questions will help you not only determine the type of house that will be the best for you, but also save you time from viewing houses that don’t meet your personal criteria.

Getting prequalified is also key at this stage so you have a good sense of the price range you would be looking at and can be ready to make a purchase if the latest listing is the one you want.