My wife and I have been looking for an acreage to buy that is closer to the city for about six years. In that time we have seen a few that we have been really interested in but sold before we could even go look at them, while other acreages are still on the market from six years ago.
Everybody always wants a good deal, and we are no different, the house also has to be the right style and fit for us.
We are picky there is no denying this fact, and we know it, but I don't think we are being unreasonable. Here are some things we have learned along the way.
Just because the other houses in the area are priced high does not mean all the houses in the area should be priced the same. Realtors call this comparables.
Some houses have been renovated and are clearly worth more than others.
If a house has been renovated but the owners did not know what they were doing and have used cheap supplies that house is worth less.
I have seen houses where there was an obvious sale on ugly pink and green cork flooring that was installed in every single room in the house, and the owners decided they should varathane the entire thing afterwards to really bring out the colors.
When I go and view a house, I don't look for what I like about it, I look for what I am going to have to fix or repair, how much that would cost, an example would be water damage in the corners and on the ceiling, no pump located in the basement in case of a flood, or a garage that has huge cracks in the floor and is starting to slope in a direction it shouldn't. How does the piping for the water look in the furnace room, is it copper or pex, is it neat and organized, how about the wiring in the electrical box, it should be neat and tidy too.
Don't be impressed by a fancy upgrade, such as an expensive chandelier or fireplace. Both of these things don't matter for your living conditions, and I have seen some fireplaces that take up so much room that you have no room for anything else, such as a T.V. or furniture. It is a huge job to remove a fireplace and it seems they are the "in" thing this year.
Where is the house situated on the land? I prefer a more in the middle of the yard look, where I have a front and back yard. If it's too close to the road you get a lot of dust and road noise, and if its too far back your privacy is limited. I also prefer trees to be planted around the perimeter to block wind, dust, and road noise and to give a little privacy.
What about your view from the house you are buying? Do you have a front row seat to your neighbors window? Maybe there's some nice tower power lines for you to enjoy as you wonder why you are starting to go bald and a third arm grows out of your back.
Finally, the layout is the most important issue when you enter a house, is there a place for your shoes, jacket or anything in that immediate location? Where are the stairs located, taking up space in the middle of the house is a waste, they should off to side and out of the way.
A 14-foot ceiling is also a waste of space, you have to be able to heat that space or cool it down, I don't want to see a space where I could fit four more rooms to be completely open. I also like an open concept, where you can see the living room from the kitchen.
The basement in my opinion should never have a sealed ceiling and should be dropped tiled, a lot of water and electrical lines run on a basement ceiling if you ever had to fix something you would have to tear open a sealed basement as opposed to removing a few tiles and replacing them. The same thing goes if you had a leak upstairs and into the basement.
These are a few of my opinions, feel free to use them.
Scott Goerz
