I've bought two houses in my life, most recently in 1985. Since then, I've had plenty of time to think about how many things we simply didn't realize we should consider when buying our current home. Given how oblivious we were, we've been luckier than we had any right to be that we chose well and have been generally content. But if I ever buy a house again, you can bet I'll look at a lot more than just the size of the kitchen or the number of bathrooms.

Over the years, I've talked with people from all over the Charlotte region about where they live. I've heard what they value, what they defend when it's threatened and what drives them nuts. Sometimes I can't help but wonder that they - like me - seem not to have considered some important things before they moved where they did.

So today I'm offering a list of suggestions to consider if you're looking for a house. Many of them apply to condos and apartments, as well. This isn't stuff you're likely to hear from a real estate expert, which I don't pretend to be. If you want to know about resale values or financing or remodeling details, ask an expert.

The following ideas aren't intended as a complete list of what to consider. I'm leaving out obvious stuff, such as knowing if there's a freeway planned next door, or checking crime statistics and schools. (I will note that anyone who waves you off from even considering Charlotte-Mecklenburg public schools is either seriously uninformed or a snob.) Nor am I suggesting the following should be deal-breakers. You have to consider your own budget, situation, preferences and values. But it's better to make conscious choices than be unpleasantly surprised later.

You're buying more than a house. You're buying the drive to work and to the store. Do a test-drive to and from your workplace, in morning and evening traffic. Similarly, drive to the nearest store, or whatever places you know you'll visit often. Notice what you see, because you'll be seeing it a lot. Are left turns impossible in rush hour? Is it a route of unrelenting ugliness - loud signs, parking lots, disheveled fast food joints, and snarling traffic? If so, will driving it daily tighten that stress knot in your gut? Are there spots where your eyes and heart get a lift - jasmine trailing over a wall, maybe, or a century-old church? I think routine ugliness distresses us more than we realize.

Are the houses, lots and streets laid out so they encourage neighbors to meet naturally? Large front yards discourage neighborliness. So does a lack of front porches and sidewalks. If you have small children, is there a convenient playground or gathering spot within walking distance, where you can meet neighborhood kids and parents? Or does every back yard have a private, invitation-only playset?

Consider the cost of driving. Many people look only at the cost of the house and forget transportation. At 36.5 cents a mile - the rate the IRS allows for 2002 - a 20-mile daily commute, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, costs $1,825, or $152 a month. Apply that to a monthly mortgage payment (30-year, fixed-rate, 7 percent interest) and you can add $23,000 to the price of the house you buy.

Consider driving time. The more you're in the car, the less time you'll have for life - for family, friends and hobbies. Traffic is only going to get worse unless all the new people in town forswear driving completely. A 40-minute commute each way totals almost 14 days a year. Many people move to houses far from work - typically to get more room - and then bellyache about the drive. Well, duh.

Can you walk to transit? Some people take the bus regularly; others of us only infrequently, when the car's in the shop or - ahem - streets are snowy or icy. Having the bus option is a convenience. You, too, might find yourself unable to drive due to illness, injury, age or other problems.

Can you walk to the store? See above, about icy streets, unexpected injuries, etc. Consider the proximity of places you might want to walk to, and whether there are sidewalks along the route.

Is there more than one way to get in and out of the neighborhood? Can you get to more than one major street, or to school, stores, etc., without getting on a busy street? When there's only one way out and no interior connections, prepare for frustration.

Think again about large lots. I speak from experience. I love gardening; my spouse loathes it. Each of my two Charlotte houses has had a larger yard than I could handle, and we've spent thousands paying for mowing. In America we're all primed to think a larger lot brings us wealth - and it would if we were subdividing our property or planting cotton. Otherwise, keeping up a big lot sucks away your money and your weekends. Consider whether a smaller lot might make you happier in the long run.

Is it a fast-growing area? Then don't be dismayed by fast growth. People buy a house in a new subdivision overlooking woods or a pasture, then are horrified when bulldozers attack the woods or pasture. What did they think would happen?

Related item: If you buy a house next to the route of a future highway, don't be angry when the highway is built and it's noisy.

Check how nearby property is zoned. Find out what the zoning allows, too. Many people who wouldn't mind a small coffee shop on the corner don't want a big box discount store. In many cases the same zoning allows both. As several Union County neighborhoods near Marvin have learned, if zoning allows a gigantic Wal-Mart, there's little to stop one from going in. For zoning information in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, call the city-county planning department at (704) 336-2205.