What do I want from my new home?
The first priority is to decide what you really need from your new home e.g. location, number of bedrooms, number of reception rooms, a garage, a garden etc. Then list the features you'd ideally have e.g. a spare guest room with en-suite, an office, a double garage and a state-of-the-art kitchen etc.

Your first step should be to start looking at properties within your budget and how they fit or could be adapted to your needs or ideals. Is there a separate outbuilding for example that you could convert into that much wanted office or garage? Is there a surplus utility room you could knock through to create a bigger kitchen? Keep a broad mind and look at all the options. Unless you have thousands of pounds to spare, you may find you have to compromise on certain aspects.

As part of deciding what type of home you're looking for, you may want to think about types of property that you love or want to rule out. Keep an open mind as you may end up being guided by your requirements. For example, if you need to accommodate an elderly relative who can't manage stairs, a bungalow may turn out to be the only option. You may find that, in reality, what seems like a dream type of property actually turns out to be completely impractical if you have young children. All these requirements need careful consideration.

Buying a newly built home
If you find that your requirements are very specific and finding appropriate property is difficult then it may be worth thinking about buying a newly built property where you may be able to influence the planning and layout at the early stages to incorporate some of your requirements. If presentation is important, you'll appreciate the modern fixtures and fittings and newly decorated appearance of a new home.

Benefits to buying a newly built home.
A newly built home offers a certain amount of added security that you don't get when you're buying a second-hand home. Once you've paid your deposit, exchange follows quickly. You're also at the end of the chain so you're not waiting for a seller to move and some developers make it even easier by offering a part-exchange deal for your current property. A newly built property may also be the best option when buying in Mauritius from overseas it provides a 'ready to move into' solution saving you from worrying about modifications to your new home when you should be relaxing and enjoying you new lifestyle.