Seven Things to Look for When Buying a House
When you are in the process of looking for a home to buy, there are obvious things you look for. Location, square footage, number of bedrooms and baths, size of yard, flow of home, etc. If those don’t work for your needs, you check it off the list. But what happens when the house fits your needs perfectly? You need to go a step further to make sure you aren’t getting glossy eyed. Typically, this is the biggest purchase you will ever make and you want to make sure you do your due diligence. Here are seven things to look for when buying a house that you may not think about initially. Is there adequate parking? It may have a two-car garage but will the size of the garage fit your vehicles. I have stood in many garages while my client pulled their oversized truck in or used the measuring tape to make double sure it would work for them. If it’s only a one-car garage and there is more than one driver in your household, make sure there is somewhere else to put a car other than directly behind the other one. You may think it’s not a big deal but having to get someone out of bed in the pouring rain to move their car will get old very fast – for both parties! If there is only driveway or street parking, again, make sure there is ample room for all vehicles. There is a very popular neighborhood in our area where most of the houses do not have off-street parking. During busy times when visitors are going to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and yoga studios, they may find that the closest parking spot is in front of your house and you’re left walking several blocks to get home. If you are looking at condos, make sure there is assigned parking or at least enough spots to accommodate owners as well as visitors. How many steps are there into the house? Check every entry door. If the only way in is by way of many steps, consider who is going to live there and how you live. If there are medical restrictions, that may already be something you are looking for. However, also think about groceries. Do you want to have to walk up 10 stairs with your arms full of groceries and/or make several trips on a weekly basis, just to get in your house? Likewise, if you are purchasing a condo, make sure there are elevators or be aware of how many flights of stairs you will be taking regularly. Look Up! It is easy to get caught up in what’s eye level....
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