Part II: How I Help My Buyers Find The Ideal Eagle Idaho Home !
The Home
Was this home built with quality materials and workmanship?
Does the home have quality components?
Or, was it built to a price point to save building costs?
Look for undersized HVAC components, small water heaters, cheap kitchen appliances, and other indicators of inferior quality.
Is the home the largest home in the subdivision?
It’s best to have a home that is within the price range of other nearby homes.
Generally speaking, it isn’t a real good idea to own the largest, most expensive home in a subdivision.
(I’ve personally learned this lesson from past experience).
How old is the home?
In general, newer homes are better built than older homes.
Older homes are also more likely to require more maintenance than a newer home.
Has the HVAC system been serviced regularly?
Look for service tags on the HVAC system to confirm that it has been maintained regularly.
Many (most?) homeowners fail to have their HVAC system serviced regularly.
Filthy furnace filters are a dead giveaway that the HVAC system hasn’t been serviced recently.
How old is the HVAC system?
HVAC systems often have a lifespan of about 15 years.
Regular servicing can extend that expected lifespan.
If the HVAC system is more than 15 years old, you’ll be replacing it soon.
How old is the water heater?
The typical lifespan of a water heater is 8-10 years.
Water heater lifespans vary, depending upon the quality, hardness of water, and other variables.
Thanks to recent federal regulations, new water heaters may be too large to fit into the area where an old water is installed.
That could require costly relocation to install a new water heater.
How old is the roof?
If you’re considering a 20-year old home that was built with 20-year composition shingles, you’ll be replacing the roof in the near future.
Most newer homes are built with at least 30-year composition shingles.
The best composition shingles are 50-year architectural composition shingles.
If the home has wood shake shingles and is more than 20 years old, you will face a costly re-roofing job.
Tile roofs are expensive, but rarely need to be replaced.
How old are the kitchen appliances?
Appliances don’t improve with time.
If the home has appliances that are more than 10 years old, you’ll be replacing them soon.
Does the home have full rain gutters?
Local building codes do not require full rain gutters, but they’re vitally important to avoid crawlspace moisture issues.
Look up to see if the home you’re considering has full gutters.
Then, look at the downspouts and confirm that the roof runoff water is drained underground, away from the home.
Is the home a “flip”?
Many flips are nothing more than “lipstick on a pig” that you should avoid.
I see a lot of homes with golden oak cabinetry that has been brush-painted glossy black (with the oak grain showing through).
There’s far more to a remodeling project than glitzy, inexpensive drawer pulls, flimsy carpets, light fixtures, and cheap new appliances.
Confirm that all work was done with the required permits and completed by appropriately-licensed contractors.
You should also get paid receipts for all completed work to avoid issues with mechanic’s liens and title insurance.
Are homes in the subdivision well-maintained?
Take a drive around the area surrounding the home you’re interested in.
You can easily determine if nearby homes are well-maintained.
Lack of maintenance for nearby homes will negatively affect your home’s value.
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These are just a few of the things that I consider while evaluating properties to show my Eagle, Idaho buyers.
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