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Home
Buying Tips: Ten Practical Pointers
When Evaluating a House or Condo
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1.
How do you get the groceries
into the house?
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Evaluate
the process of carrying things from the car parking area to
the kitchen or mudroom. Look carefully at the route and the
obstacles. If the present set up isn't ideal, is there a simple
solution? |
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2.
What wall does the bed fit on?
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Some
houses have window placement that forces you to place a bed
by or under a window. The designers wanted the house to look
correct from the exterior, even though that meant sacrificing
logical furniture placement along a wall. Do you care if the
king or queensized bed must go under a window or at an unusual
angle? |
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3.
A tree!
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Landscaping enhances the enjoyment of your home, brings good
karma or feng shui, and even adds monetary value. The time
is money rule applies especially to landscaping. A beautifully
landscaped yard with mature shrubs and specimen trees takes
years to establish. Pay attention to what a property offers
outdoors. If there are trees that haven't been maintained
well or need to be removed, you can anticipate additional
landscaping expenses. |
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4.
That lawn!
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How
big is it? Who mows it and at what annual cost? If you are
a condo buyer, compare the landscaping budgets of different
complexes to see if your condo fees will be higher because
of additional landscaping expenses. How important is a very
green lawn to you? Many Cape Codders have a "Cape Cod"
lawn, where grass or ground cover are left as much possible
in their natural state. But even a pine needle lawn needs
regular grooming. |
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5.
Go back to the property and neighborhood
at different times of day and night.
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At different times of day, sunlight will be in different parts
of the house, making the living space more or less inviting.
After conventional work hours, the neighborhood may have many
more vehicles around than when you saw the house at midday
while folks were away from home. Does the neighborhood have
adequate parking on the street and on each person's property?
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6.
Sit down!
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Change
your viewing perspective and slow down. Actually when you
are home, you are probably more likely to be seated. See how
the living space is from this angle. |
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7.
Electric Heat. Consider it just one more appliance.
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It's easy to switch from electric heat to a new, state of
the art, efficient heating system of your own choice. You
then get the use of a new heating system for 100% use of its
functional life. When you look at electric heat this way,
homes with older, less efficient gas or oil systems may make
a house less desirable to purchase than an all-electric house!
Most buyers are unduly afraid of electric heating bills and
will not even look at a home with electric heat. This becomes
another advantage to you because it reduces the pool of competing
buyers. Some homes built for electric heat were required to
have extra insulation. This makes the house quieter as well
as being easier to heat. These are things you wouldn't necessarily
retrofit into a house because of the expense and inconvenience,
but it would be nice to have them already there. And if you
convert to a different system, you'd still have the benefit
of this extra insulation, etc. |
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8.
Sunlight
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If you find a part of the dwelling lacks sufficient daylight,
it is possible to use light bulbs that have the full spectrum
of light waves to correct this deficiency. At certain times
of the year, some rooms may tend to be dark. Some hallway
bathrooms lack any windows, and some condos may have their
kitchens on an inside wall. Basements are brighter and more
pleasant with full spectrum bulbs. House plants will thrive,
too! |
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9.
Measure
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When you are looking, measure that special piece of furniture
or rug that must fit into your new home. Bring the measurements
and the tape measure with you when house-hunting! |
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10.
You'll recognize your new house when you see it.
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Finding
the right house can be like picking a family member out
of a crowd. When all else fails, trust your instincts.
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