Learning how to spot a good property is essential when going on the prowl for your own dream home, or even if you are planning on investing in some property! So, let us go over the 7 tips for spotting a home with potential.
Good bones
The first tip for spotting a home with potential is paying attention to its foundations. If you know what to look out for, you quickly spot trouble related to the core elements of a home. Do the floors seem to sag a little? Or are cracks around where walls meet the ground and around the edges of door and window frames? Do those sag, too? If they do, it is a sure sign that there is something seriously wrong with the very foundation of the house you are checking out. The thing you need to learn about homeownership is that looks are not everything. It is very much possible to make up for them later. However, a sturdy foundation is impossible to make up for without much renovation or rebuilding. You can pay a fortune, and depending on the kind of land the house was built on, and it still won’t help.
Location is crucial
There are certain things about your home that you can change after you buy it. For example, if you want your new home to look pretty, there are plenty of things to buy after relocating to your new home to make it more personal. So, when checking out a house, you should not pay attention to its outward appearance or the furniture already there. Focus, instead, on its location. You can, eventually, even fix a cracked or flawed foundation. But there is absolutely nothing you can do to change the location of a house. So, ask yourself this: is there everything you need in the vicinity of the property? Is there a home for your kids to attend without riding a bus for an hour? Are there stores and other conveniences of the same type? What about a bus stop or a train station? Is there a park nearby where you can relax and unwind? Of course, which of these you will prioritize is up to you. But it’s important to know what your needs and wants are beforehand.
A solid roof
There are few things as necessary for a home as a solid roof. If it is leaky and drafty, you will not only struggle to keep the rain out of your home. When trying to keep your home warm or cool, your energy bills will also shoot up. Of course, the more severe problem will still be when winter comes, and rain and snow make your life hell. The worst part is that fixing or replacing a roof is difficult and expensive. The cost to renovate your kitchen is nothing compared to roof replacement. And you would have to put up with having no roof on your house while construction is ongoing.
Lots of storage space
Not many people think about where exactly they’ll put all their stuff when they move in while viewing a property. But, spotting a home with potential requires you to keep this firmly in mind. The moving experts from usantini.com warn that this is an essential issue since they often encounter situations where they have to move items into a hastily rented storage unit when working with their clients. Just because you’re pretty sure you can fit all your stuff into a smaller house you’re buying doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check to make sure before committing!
The floor plan
Another thing you cannot do much about without expensive renovation is a house’s floor plan. You are more or less stuck with what you buy. So, from the beginning, ensure there are enough rooms in your potential home to make it worth purchasing. And that they are organized in a way that meshes well with your family’s needs. The decision of whether you want your kids’ rooms near your own or even on the same floor as you is an important one. And it requires feedback from both parties! Not to mention that your floor plan will play a large part in whether it is even possible to make your home more pet friendly if you do indeed want to do that.
The plumbing and electrical systems
You one hundred percent want to ensure the house’s electricity and plumbing systems are in good shape. Having faulty electricity is a fire hazard waiting to happen. And plumbing problems can be a nightmare to deal with. Just thinking about potential sewer backup is enough to send even the most seasoned homeowners into violent shudders! Fixing either of the systems is very expensive and troublesome, too. Especially considering they are primarily inside your floors and walls, which would need to be opened up to reach these systems.
Does it match your needs?
We mentioned before that you should know what you need concerning amenities near your home. Well, spotting a home with potential also requires you to understand what you want from the house itself. You can boil down the most common homeowner needs to the following.
- Is there enough space for your family?
- Can everyone reach their jobs/school properly from the house?
- Can you afford the upkeep and utilities of such a house?
- Does its price fit into your budget?
So long as you answer yes to all four of those questions, there is no reason to pass up the house. Of course, only if it manages to pass the other criteria we had discussed. Here, it is also important to differentiate between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. Just prioritizing the latter may land you in financial trouble. Not to mention your new home might not be a proper match for your family.
Final Words
Keeping the 7 tips for spotting a home with potential in mind, you will be able to get your hands on an amazing property. If all goes well, you will soon have a wonderful new place to call home!
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