Jim Valentine on Real Estate
The experience of looking at a home to buy is multi-faceted. Buyers usually focus on the floorplan, price and other obvious components of the property but once in a while things slip by unnoticed. The emotion of finding the right home often overcomes the reasoning of looking at the details to make sure the property is properly suited to your wants and needs.
We recently put a beautifully remodeled home in escrow. While looking at the home for the first time the buyers, seller and I were standing in the gorgeous kitchen chatting about things. New cabinets, counters, punched out walls, upgraded everything, absolutely beautiful. Nothing of concern until a few days later when the buyer went back through and saw the sink. One side had something in it and the other was “small.”
I went back to review the situation and found a modern technological wonder of a dishwasher in one side of the sink. It retails for a whopping $1,500 and does more than dishes, it also cleans seafood and vegetables. There are many other features to this marvelous machine but the buyer had not seen it when viewing the property and was keen on getting a regular large unit that you have to bend over to fill. This is sink height and easy to access. It is easy to overlook something as mundane as a dishwasher as you give a home a cursory look focusing on the bigger details.
How long is the garage, will your truck fit? Trucks and some cars are quite long these days. A standard garage is 20 feet long, trucks 21 to 22. Door height can also be problematic if you have a lifted truck. In your RV barn make sure the doors are 14 feet tall if you have a newer Class A which will be 13-feet 6-inches tall. Older doors and units are 12 feet tall.
Air conditioning is another thing that is easy to overlook. We are in the heat of summer right now so it is noticeable if a home is without A/C, but that isn’t always the case. Some folks use evaporative coolers (swamp cooler) with much success and comfort in our region, but they don’t usually cool the entire home. If someone hooked it up to the forced air system there is a good chance there will be mold in the ducting because of the moisture moving through it. Look on the side of the house for an A/C unit if it is important to you.
The lawn may be green and the trees and flowers healthy, but at what effort? Is there a sprinkler system throughout the landscaping and is it on a timer? Another east to overlook component of the home. You might see hoses stretched out for a clue, but if they are wrapped up you might not notice unless you make a concerted effort to look for the irrigation system of the house.
What comes with the home? Many people have “yard art,” things placed about the property that add character. They can be wagons, wagon wheels, etc. Be sure to identify what comes with the home and what will be leaving with the seller. It will be part of your overall vision of the property, but each item is a detail in itself. Be sure you know what you are buying in this regard.
COVID-19 policies have started the day of the 15-minute showing. If a home hits the market and is popular there will be back-to-back showings, each 15 minutes in duration. It is hard to see the details in that time unless you stay focused on the task at hand and really look. If there are good pictures in MLS you can look to verify and understand the spacing of the home, but if not you might want to make notes or even take a photo or two. It is polite to ask if you can take pictures inside somebody else’s home.
If the floorplan, view, features work, look to the details for your ultimate peace of mind.
When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your Real Estate needs… Experience is Priceless! Jim Valentine, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 775-781-3704. dpwtigers@hotmail.com
