You've spent the past year building the home of your dreams. All of your savings and your energy has been invested in this venture. Finally, the day arrives. The movers arrive, your furniture is arranged, and you're spending your first weekend in your new house. On your way out to the dining room to serve coffee to your visiting friends, it hits you: It would have been convenient to build an entry from the kitchen to the dining area. Instead, you have to cut through the carpeted living room. One false move, and you could spill coffee all over that nice, new carpeting. Or suppose that on your first night in your new home, you and your spouse find yourselves humming the words to Pearl Jam's latest CD, and both of you realize that perhaps it would have been better to design your son's room across the upstairs hall instead of directly above the downstairs master bedroom.

Before you embark on your new-home search or your blueprints to build your dream home, spend a few days -- even a week, if you'd like -- creating a checklist that reflects your lifestyle. Consider the course of a typical day for you and your family. While it might seem like small potatoes to have to travel through your living room on the way to your dining room, the first time you spill food or liquid on your carpeting, 20/20 hindsight will become crystal clear. A few factors you might want to consider include:

Kitchen.

Do you cook often, or are you the queen or king of takeout fare? The answer to that question will affect how much storage space you need for your appliances (cabinetry, shelves, an island) and your food (a large pantry, additional shelving). Do you entertain at all? Will you need a butler's pantry? Where will you eat -- in the kitchen, in separate nook or in the dining room? Will your eating area and kitchen be formal or more casual? Would you consider having a counter with bar stools?

Laundry room. The need for a separate laundry room is more or less unanimous among homeowners. But how large should it be, and where should it be located -- near bedrooms or off the kitchen or garage? Would you like to be able to fit your ironing board inside the room, or a hamper? How about opting for a built-in ironing board to save space?

Living room/den.

How much time do you spend in the living room as opposed to the den -- or do you need a den? If you spend most of your time in the den, would you be willing to reduce the size of your living room to compensate, and make that room serve a more formal purpose? Should your den be open to the kitchen? Would you be willing to listen to the noise of a television set and family members gathered in your den if your kitchen is open to that room? What kind of decor do you want to create in your living room and den? If you have young children who will be playing in the den, do you want that room open to your kitchen so that you can keep an eye on them, or do you want the den closed off to eliminate noise and the mess of scattered toys?

Overall layout.

When you stand in the middle of your house and look around, do you want to be able to see into several other rooms, or would you rather have your rooms be more self-contained? Does the infiltration of noise from other rooms bother you? Is peace and quiet a must? What kinds of views would you like to see from your living room, den and kitchen? Do you mind being able to see your neighbor's window next door? Would you consider putting up a hedge for privacy? How much space do you want in your back yard? Do you plan to entertain in your backyard (French doors be an appropriate entry to the yard), and if so, would you like your kitchen to provide easy access to the back yard? Will you need a deck to entertain properly? Do you plan to install a pool, and if so, will there be enough room left over for a deck, chairs and table, as well as adequate landscaping and storage space for pool equipment? If you plan to install a pool, does the entry into your home from the back yard have tile floors (wood and carpet can be damaged from wet feet).

Master bedroom.

Do you want the master bedroom on the first floor as opposed to the second floor? Will it be closed off and private with a separate hallway? How much time do you plan to spend there (if you tend to spend more time in your bedroom, you may want to consider a separate sitting area). What kind of views will your bedroom provide? How private? How much time do you spend in it besides sleeping? Should you get a fireplace installed? Should master bath/dressing areas be directly off it? How large should the closets be (compared to your current situation)? How large will the bathroom be? Will it have dual sinks and vanity areas? Should vanity areas have space for seating? How large should the closets be? Would you be willing to consider devoting less space to your bedroom in order to create a larger bathroom? In the bathroom, do you want a separate shower? Garden tub? Bidet? Would it be more convenient to have your closet located off your bathroom or the bedroom?

Other bedrooms.

How many extra bedrooms will you need? Will you have guests often? Would you and your spouse like an extra bedroom each, or to share, for your home offices or hobby rooms? Do you have children or grandchildren in the area who visit frequently and who might occasionally spend the night? How many extra bathrooms will you need, and will they be located off the bedrooms or down the hall? Will any bathrooms be shared between bedrooms? Would you consider having an upstairs game room to accommodate young children or grandchildren, or even to use as a library or home office? If you plan to use one extra bedroom for a home office, is it wired adequately to meet your needs?

Storage.

Are you a pack rat? Will you need an entire room devoted to storage, or will closet space be enough to meet your needs? Would you like to have a coat closet at your front entry? Linen closets? Give this one careful thought. Where will you store your vacuum cleaner? Coats and other bulky winter clothes, brooms, luggage, sheets, household appliances?

This is a good start for your lifestyle inventory. You'll also want to consider such factors as heating and cooling, water use, electricity needs (for example, placement of sockets) and more. Give all of these factors careful consideration, and make sure you give yourself plenty of flexibility. This is your "wish list," so to speak. We've all been inside other people's homes in which we've thought to ourselves that "A, B and/or C" should have been built or designed differently. While these are all subjective preferences, sometimes they're the result of poor planning. Give yourself plenty of time to create your checklist, and if you're buying an existing home rather than building one, make sure you rank your items in terms of their overall importance to you and your family (must have, would like to have, etc.). It's the best way to create a win-win situation for all. Your Realtor might have a few suggestions to offer, but these are decisions best made by you, the homeowner.

Published: April 15, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.