How to Buy a Home With Your Passions in Mind

As any homebuyer quickly learns, priorities matter when navigating the market. You may decide that you simply won’t go without 4 bedrooms, or that an attached garage is an absolute must. Perhaps you’re willing to give up that renovated kitchen to snag a place in the neighborhood of your dreams. The bottom line: every home search is as unique as the individuals taking part in it.

The importance of personalization extends beyond the homebuying journey itself: When it comes to finding the right insurance coverage for your new home, it’s wise to take the rest of your lifestyle into account too. Will it be hard to resist the temptation of adding another vehicle to your new garage? Will a fresh, scenic locale inspire you to upgrade your camera? Or do you want to set aside money each month to save for a kitchen remodel?

The big picture is a big deal—and the State Farm^® Personal Price Plan^® can help you get the coverage you need at a price you can afford.

Ready to get started personalizing your home search? Here’s what you need to know.

If your busy family is always on the go: Consider how you’re getting there.

When it takes multiple calendars to keep track of everything on your family members’ schedules, you likely have more than one vehicle to get everyone where they’re going. If that sounds like you, all those cars need a place to live too. A multi-car garage is probably one of your new home must-haves. And with your busy schedule of soccer practice and saxophone lessons, you’ll want to streamline life wherever you can. That’s where bundling your auto and home insurance comes in—you’ll manage everything with one company and can help manage costs. Plus, if you take pride in an excellent driving record because of the precious cargo you’re transporting, you can lower your bill even more with the State Farm Drive Safe & Save™ app. (Those savings can go toward your kid’s next soccer team fee!)

If you can’t wait to start your first home project: Get creative with finding ways to save room in your budget.

With the house keys in hand, it can be both thrilling and overwhelming to consider the blank canvas your new walls present. From freshening up the space with the latest peel-and-stick wallpaper trend to embarking on a major remodel, every extra dollar you can add to the renovation budget can help turn your new house into a space that truly reflects your style.

One way to offset remodeling costs: Consider the effect of upgrades on your home insurance. For example, adding a new roof or replacing the wiring in the house may allow you to lower your rate. And personalizing your coverage to get exactly the protection you need at a more affordable price and taking advantage of discounts from bundling multiple insurance lines (like home and auto or home and life) will give you even more flexibility to reinvest those savings into home improvements. A knowledgeable State Farm agent can be a resource for you along the way.

If your favorite “toys” have wheels: Don’t be afraid to customize everything.

As any autophile knows, a great car can be a real work of art. You probably scrupulously customized your prized collection right down to the stitching on the all-leather upholstery. For you, a new construction home could be a great choice for bringing your keen design eye to your home search. Some new construction communities will allow you to choose your home’s finishes (think countertops, floors, and light fixtures) as the build is completed.

The personalization options don’t stop there. When it comes to your insurance coverage, your options are fully customizable as well. For example, you may want different levels of coverage when it comes to your daily commuter car as compared to the classic collectible that only hits the road on the occasional Sunday ride around the neighborhood. Your State Farm agent can help you understand those options and choose the products and coverage amounts that are right for you. They can also help you understand how bundling those auto policies with your new home policy will result in a truly personalized plan that has exactly what you need.

If your hobbies are a passion: Read between the lines of the listing romance language.

That descriptive paragraph of a home listing may boast a “formal dining room,” a “home gym,” or “soaring ceilings.” But if your style is more jam session than dinner party, that space could become a studio with storage for your guitar collection. Where there was once a treadmill could instead make way for a model train collection. And those high ceilings mean extra wall space perfect for displaying the photos you took during your photography class. When you’re willing to do some creative reading, a house that might have initially been a “pass” could actually be your perfect place.

While you’re in the moving mindset, it’s a good time to create an inventory of these notable belongings and their worth for your home insurance. And you may want to consider if additional coverage for these items is a fit for your situation. A State Farm agent can help you understand your options for personalization of your policies, and help you find discounts for bundling multiple policies once you’ve landed on the perfect plans.