Buying a New Home? Time to Think about Resale!
So you've found your dream home! Everything is perfect....well almost. The perfect home may very well be an elusive dream....I hope not, but there's always this "tiny little issue" that's not quite perfect. Hopefully, that tiny little issue is one that is cosmetic in nature or one that can be minimized or changed.
For most people, selecting a home is an emotional decision. And it should be. This emotional side of our brain helps us reach a very personal decision. However, we may want to sell this home in the future and now's the time to look at things that could create possible sales objections. The value of a home is directly related to its marketability. Real estate agents like to tout how good they are and they sold this, or they sold that. But in all honesty, houses sell houses. While there are always external factors like supply/demand, a house priced right and presented well....will sell.
Here are some common reasons given by potential buyers for NOT wanting a particular home:
Lack of Yard - With developers trying to squeeze every inch out of the land, this sometimes makes for very small backyards. While the total square footage of the yard may be good...is it usable or is it all on the sides?
Unusual Easements or Restrictions - Is the utility easement going to interfere with your vision of a large swimming pool? Are there pipelines underground that could interfere too? Are the lot boundary lines where you expected? Are you required to obtain flood insurance?
Commercial View - Does your backyard view commercial properties?
Electrical Wires & Poles - Buyers have a general negative reaction to wires & poles. Many buyers will object to a transformer, but may accept the wire and pole.
Steep Driveway - We don't have too much of this in our area.
Busy Street - Noise and safety for children are the big concerns here.
Too Exposed - If the building or home behind the house is a 2-story and looks down onto the backyard, this interferes with privacy in the back yard. However, this can be mitigated somewhat by trees.
Non-conforming styles - We don't have too much trouble with these in our subdivisions. Some architectural styles are outdated.
Poor water drainage - Ponding after a heavy rain can mean poor drainage.
Insurance Claims - We have seen our share of this issue! If you have had a water claim, this could cause your potential buyer to be denied insurance coverage for the home. You may want to look at your home's CLUE report to see what's on it. Remember, even calls about a potential claim are on this report!
Over-Improving - Don't try to over-improve your home and hope that you will recover those expenses dollar for dollar. True, they may help your home sell faster than your competitors, but you may not get all your money back. Appraisal issues come up when you have the most expensive home in the neighborhood. Underwriters really don't like that!
Non-functional floorplans - Floorplans that make living in the home difficult will turn away future buyers. Excessive level changes, poorly proportioned rooms (such as a small family room), awkward access to the outdoors or walls removed/added can hurt the marketability of the home.
Outdated touches - Some wallpapers are very dated....and it seems like paint is the preferred wall covering today. Older laminate counters with gold flakes, shag carpet....all of these will hurt the resale value.
I hope you enjoyed this article and if you're looking for a home.....have fun, but keep these tips in mind. And if you're selling, don't forget I can have a professional home stager help you get your home ready to sell! Call Kathye today at 281-485-1946 or visit www.PearlandHomes.com 
