Don’t Fall For Staging Tricks When Buying A New Home

In our last installment on buying a home we discussed how many buyers turn down a house if it lacks visual appeal.  Instead of only looking at a home for its aesthetic values it is crucial that homeowners look deeper into the bones of a home.  The condition of homes foundation and structure are the most important aspects to consider.  The following aspects can also tell you a lot about how the homes you are looking at have been maintained and cared for.

How does the plumbing throughout the home look?  Check out the water and the pressure of the water pressure.  Turn on all of the faucets all at one time and check to see their output.  Inspect the pipes to ensure they are not lead while also looking at the current insulation.  Pipes can easily be insulated using preformed insulation but it is important to know what will need to be done ahead of time.  Pipes that are in crawl spaces must be insulated as well as plumbing that is on the other side of exterior walls, often seen in kitchens.  Check the hot water heater and tank, boiler and radiator.  These are all good indicators of the updates that have or have not been done to the homes plumbing.

How well insulated is the home.  When you are inside the home is the traffic easily heard throughout the home?  Can you hear a lot of outside noise such as children playing?  This may not seem like a big deal at the time but poor insulation is not all about the annoyance of extra outside noise.  If a home is not properly insulated against the sounds of the world around it then it most likely is not apt to hold in heat or air conditioning.

Realtors advise buyers to check out the homes attic space as well.  Check for fire and water damage as both can lead to a structure that is weakened.   If you can see any light from within the attic, through even pin hole sized points it is crucial to make note of these.  If you purchase the home these areas need to be caulked to prevent water from accessing the area and leaking into the home causing damage to ceilings.  Is the attic easy to access?  Can the space be turned into something usable like an office or spare bedroom?  What about storage or extra insulation?

There is so much more to a home than what buyers can see however this is a hard concept for realtors to get across to a visual buyer.  A home that is painted with wickedly wild colors and covered in crazy bright carpet is a whole lot cheaper to repair than a home with a faulty foundation or unstable roof.  Remember this as it is easy to become caught up in the way something looks.  Professionals in staging can turn a home that hasn’t been maintained into a beauty with a few tricks of the trade. Don’t fall prey to this.  Instead keep your eyes open and look for things we have mentioned in these latest installments.

Lady of the Lakes Real Estate is Livingston County’s premiere realtor; out of Pinckney, Michigan helping buyers buy and sellers sell homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Brighton, Howell, Pinckney and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://www.ladyofthelakes.com.

Don’t Get Caught Up In Curb Appeal When Purchasing A New Home

When it comes to purchasing a new home many buyers get caught up in the visual aspects of the home.  This is a mistake that often hurts buyers.  Instead of seeing the potential in a home they are driven off by brightly colored walls or unconventional flooring.  In reality these aspects are easily changed.  Instead staging often fools buyers and they forget that beauty is only skin deep allowing them to forget about the costly realities like roofing, electricity, plumbing and foundation.

Real estate professionals often warn clients from making mistakes like this but fall on deaf ears.  To prevent the same mistake from happening to you consider the following when considering a home to purchase.  Even the ugliest of ducklings can have the makings of a castle given the shape of the homes foundation, roofing and a fundamentally strong structure.

Consider the shape of the homes windows.  Realtors stress that it is important for buyers to look at the external state of the windows over their age.  New windows that are installed incorrectly are far less attractive as older, sturdier windows that have been well maintained.  If the exterior of the windows are in good shape it is a great indicator of the condition and level of maintenance that the current homeowner showed the home.  If you push on the window and can easily push the window frame in at all then it means the windows are starting to rot.  If the windows are double hung and you can visually see any sort of condensation the windows are faulty.

The roof is also an important aspect when looking into purchasing a home.  An asphalt shingle roof has a life expectancy of between fifteen and twenty years.  If you are unsure of when the roof was last replaced it is best to have a professional roofer out to inspect any homes you are interested in.  A professional roofer will know what to look for to age a home roof.  Certain things buyers can see themselves such as if the roof has a bunch of missing shingles or if there is substantial curling that can be seen on the shingles.  These are all signs the roof will need to be immediately replaced.  If this is the case be sure to negotiate the expense of a new roof into the purchase price of the home.

Another item a buyer often over look is the homes electrical system and power sources.  Electrical wiring that is not done by a professional electrician leaves a lot of room for error.  Improperly ran electrical wiring is dangerous.  Check out the shape of the fuse box and test the circuit breaker to ensure that it is functioning properly.  Rewiring a home is a messy and expensive job to undertake.  It is often a job that new homeowners are not looking to involve themselves in.

In our next installment we will continue to look into the items often overlooked by buyers as they concentrate on the less important visual aspects of a home.

Lady of the Lakes Real Estate is Livingston County’s premiere realtor; out of Pinckney, Michigan helping buyers buy and sellers sell homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Brighton, Howell, Pinckney and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://www.ladyofthelakes.com.