I remember back in the Fall of 2010 when my wife and I started looking at homes in Berkshire County. Up to that point, we had lived on the third floor (the maid's quarters) of a big colonial house which was turned into four apartments in the town of Lee. It certainly was a small living space with some interesting features including an open shower. The tub was wide open. There wasn't a shower curtain, or a shower door, nothing. So, if anybody walked in on either of us taking a shower, they would see us doing our business. Plus, each of us had to hold the showerhead when bathing as there wasn't any place to mount the head. Oh, the good old apartment days. We stayed at that location for five years as the rent was very affordable and we loved the location. Plus, the apartment had a certain charm to it.

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As I mentioned earlier, my wife and I started looking at Berkshire County homes in the Fall of 2010 through March 2011. We were first-time homebuyers so we had a somewhat unrealistic wishlist. As we got into the process, we realized we had to cut that list back and make some compromises. For example, we both were working in southern Berkshire County, so we wanted a home that was located in the southern Berkshires. However, we struggled to find what we wanted within our budget so we opened up our options and started looking in central Berkshire County. We ended up looking at approximately 30 houses. The last home we looked at was the house we made an offer on. That offer was accepted and we still live in that home today which is located in Pittsfield...The Orchards.

We're Glad We Selected a Home in The Orchards, Pittsfield

We were and still are very happy with the turnout as we live in a terrific neighborhood. Plus, we ended up with a deck, three bedrooms, and a partially finished basement just to name a few of the features that won us over. We're still living there today but like anybody buying a home for the first time, we had a must-haves list which, as I mentioned before, we eventually loosened on. Some of those initial must-haves included four bedrooms, at least two bathrooms, and living close to work.

Speaking of must-haves, according to a survey conducted by joybird.com, two must-haves for Massachusetts homebuyers include the following:

A Big Backyard and an Open Floor Plan

That's right a big backyard and an open floor plan are the must-haves for Massachusetts home buyers according to the study. For me, an open floor plan was never on my radar and I have plenty of backyard to keep up and mow in the spring, summer, and fall. You can dive deeper into the survey by going here. What are your must-haves when purchasing a home?

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