Mar. 19, 2008 - Q: How can I tell if I’m looking at a good home? It’s quality? It’s desirability? It’s resale?
A: Buyers looking at property sometimes can not see past the pretty decorations, the mowed lawn, the fancy molding. The first advice I wish to give is get your self an expert buyer agent. If the buyer agent does not have construction background and many of us lady real estate agents don’t, find an agent who goes to the home inspections. Home inspections are great place to learn how a house is put together.
I always recommend for my clients to do a drive by before setting up an appointment to view the house. This way the buyer becomes familiar with the home and the area and can exclude the house if the outside does not fit the buyer’s needs. Much time is wasted seeing homes’ interior when a five minute stop can tell loads about the property.
When driving by, the buyer should pull over and shut the engine off. There is no need to get out and trespass. You can gather a large amount of information just by looking from your car. First, listen to the noise, is there a traffic hum? Many buyers are turned off by this even if you are not, important to note for resale. Look around the neighborhood. How are the homes comparing to yours? Ideally, you want to look at the worst house in the best neighborhood. Also, make sure that the neighborhood has uniform structures, in that you don’t have multi-family mixed with single family homes or mixed zoning where there are businesses next to residential properties. Take note if children are playing outside, do you want kids, or would you prefer quieter area. What about the traffic on the street. How about parking, is there any are there too many cars.
Take a look at the home. Is the property on a hill or is it in a ditch. The biggest enemy to a home is water. Water flows where ever it is led. So if your home is below grade, you could potentially have water in the basement and as Frank Lloyd Wright once said (not sure if it was him), if you build a ditch, water will fill it. Does the home have gutters? Gutters are important because they carry water away from the home. Take a look at the walls and the corners of the outside of the house, make sure that they are plum, 90 degree angle to the ground. Make sure that the windows are square. Make sure that siding is not loose or falling off. Is there house debris on the ground? Take a look at the roof, are there lifting or missing shingles, are there bows or dips? These are signs of problems.
Take a look at the chimney and other brick and stone work around the house. Make sure that no bricks are missing or falling out. How about the vegetation, is the yard overgrown, too close to the house, or manicured and inviting? Keep in mind that the outside maintenance is usually last on the home owners list. If the yard is in good shape, you can be sure that most likely the interior is well taken care of.
Once the home passes the outside test, let’s go in. Things to notice:
Walls and ceiling, are they clean and freshly painted? Molding, any missing or are there any visible gaps? Windows, any broken seals, are they new, is the paint pealing? Floors and stairs, are they level, creaking? Radiators, are they rusty or water damage around them? The condition of the home will tell you a lot about the home and its owners. If the house is a rental, the condition is typically worse than that of a live in home owner. There are other factors to help you judge your property, and with experience or an experienced agent, you will get the hang of figuring them out. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.
Jane Becker, CBR, MCBA, GRI, ABR, CRS, E-Pro
Owner of Home Team AdvantEdge Co.
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