If you’re in the market for a new home, you may have toured some properties that looked just OK, but lacked in aesthetic touches, not to mention curb appeal. Still, your real estate agent reassuringly told you, “Oh, don’t worry. With a little TLC and elbow grease, this place will be shining like a new penny. After all, it has good bones.”
Did that response leave you scratching your head? While “good bones” is a description those in the industry throw around quite frequently, it can be difficult to discern what that exactly means. Today, let’s take a look at some basics, so you can qualify whether or not the home you’re interested in does indeed have a sound structure, despite some cosmetic setbacks.
1. The construction is top-quality.
These days, you can easily find contractors who will promise a lightning-quick turnaround time, guaranteeing that you’ll be flipping pancakes in your new kitchen in six months’ time. Yet, while that offer might sound ideal, think twice before you sign on the dotted line. At the end of the day, you want your home built with top-quality materials by expert craftsmanship who have the experience and skills required to ensure it will last for a lifetime.
If you’re touring a home that has fundamental issues with its foundation, you might not see all of them at first, but something will likely feel off. Do the floors have a little bounce to them when you walk across? Are the cabinets crooked, or the carpet peeling away from the baseboards? What about the floor joists? Are they lying flat or sagging in the middle? Are the walls bowed at all?
A quality construction job won’t leave you second-guessing about any of these conditions. You can’t compromise here and it’s important to walk away if you feel the structural integrity isn’t to par.
2. The infrastructure is sound.
You can paint over a hideous wall color and replace shag carpet with no problem. You can change out appliances, swap out all kinds of furniture, and put your own stamp on a home in no time. Your real estate agent can help advise you on which home features are permanent ones and which can be easily swapped out. However, if there are issues with the infrastructure of the home, or the systems that comprise them, that is another issue.
A house with good bones will have a working, solid foundation, roof, HVAC system, plumbing and electrical fixtures. While you can easily repair minor issues with these features, such as a leaky bathroom faucet, if there is a major issue you need to know about it right away to determine if it’s worth the effort it will take to fix it.
3. The floor plan makes sense.
Sure, you can tear down walls and build additions. But, if the overall, general floor plan is incredibly wonky, it might not be a viable or even livable option for you and your family. A home with good bones will have a smooth flow and transition between rooms and areas that are arranged logically. You don’t want to have to make major renovations simply because the traffic pattern is askew.
At the end of the day, finding a home with good bones is like stumbling upon a hidden treasure. As a prospective buyer, you have to be willing to see the overall picture for what it’s worth, think outside the box and get creative with minor details. The major ones, however, should already be in place.
