House Hunting

You'll be a lot happier when you choose and buy a home if you spend more time considering aspects beyond the number of bedrooms and whether there's a wet bar. Here are a few things you might consider when house-hunting:

Don't just look at a potential home on weekends. Visit it on a weekday. You might find, for instance, that commuters use the residential street in front of the home for a shortcut to a nearby business or freeway.

If you have children, consider where they'll play. Too often, kids play in the street. Is the street in front of the house you're considering a thoroughfare or is it a cul de sac where traffic is minimal?

If you or your spouse is uneasy about pulling out into traffic, don't pick a residential area in which you'll frequently be required to jump into fast-moving traffic -- especially traffic moving the opposite direction from the side you're on -- without benefit of a stop sign or light.

If you're the type of family that likes other families with kids as neighbors, seek that kind of area. On the other hand, if you like your neighborhood quiet, with few if any children in it, seek that ideal. If you're uncertain about it and your Realtor doesn't know for sure, spend a half-hour in the neighborhood about 2:45 or 3 p.m., about the time most schools let out.

Determine whether the house you're looking at is a target for headlights at night. Many people find it disturbing to have flashes of light penetrating the darkness while they're trying to sleep.

Find out whether there are noises at night that will disturb your sleep. Some restaurants, for example, have outdoor speakers in a patio waiting area to call patrons for seating. Or the guy next door to the house you're considering may have a hobby that's noisy in the evening when you're trying to relax.

Are there early-morning noises that will wake you too early? Loading docks for some businesses -- a morning-circulation newspaper is one -- are often noisy long before that old rooster crows. Because sounds often can carry long distances, find if there are such businesses within a radius of several blocks.