Buying a home is the biggest financial commitment that many people will ever make. The process can be stressful and it can be hard to know what to look for as you’re touring properties. Thankfully, we’ve got Andrew Blate of Beautiful Home Services in our corner to help our buyers make the best choices and get the most out of their properties.

 

Here are his tips for buyers on what to look for (and to watch out for!) as you’re touring potential properties, as well as some of your options to make a property into your home after the sale is final.

 

 

A good home inspector is worth their weight in gold, be sure to do your research and hire an inspector who will give you a detailed and thorough report. Remember, it is the inspector’s job to find things big and small that may need to be addressed in a property, so never expect an inspection to turn up zero findings. Take the time to carefully review the report to decide whether anything found by the inspection is a dealbreaker for you. A good inspection should give you insight into the overall condition of the property with specific information on any potential problem areas.

 

 

There are a few basic indicators that can tell you a lot about a home. During your tour look for indications of anything that looks like it may have been quickly covered up, as that could indicate a potential issue. Ceilings with mismatched paint colors might indicate that there was damage that has been repaired and covered up, you’ll want to know what happened and determine if it is likely to be an ongoing issue.

 

The same thing goes for the condition of each bathroom. Broken or cracked tiles can indicate a red flag for leaks or disrepair and taking note of these might help you avoid the need to undergo a big fix later on.

 

Don’t feel the need to rush your home tour, this is a big decision and you’ll want to look over the property carefully. Being mindful of how the property has been maintained over time, noting any questions you have, and taking the time to be thorough could save your peace of mind later.

 

 

Looking to get more bang for your buck by purchasing a home with the intent to remodel? Bring us along for a free consultation where we can walk through with you and provide estimates on any changes or needed fixes so that you can have a clear picture of what the cost of updating a particular property would be before you’ve made the commitment. We provide an itemized list of all aspects of your remodel so you can make your decision on a property with realistic numbers in mind for what your desired changes could cost.

 

Another consideration when thinking about remodeling is to do a bit of research into what materials you think you might want to use or what features you want to add to the home and have an idea of their cost as well as their value to your home. You want to make sure that with any update you are adding value to the property that will last over time. Right now a popular update is converting bathtubs to showers, a trend that we’ve seen add value to many properties and help not only the current owners to love their home more, but also adds to the bottom line when it’s time to sell.

 

 

One of the most important things you can do when making any significant changes to a property is to hire licensed and insured professionals. This is a requirement in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia and is very easy to check for anyone you’re looking to work with. Save yourself the headache and hassle of permitting, inspection, or legal issues by working with the right people to get the job done the first time.

 

Got questions or want to hire Beautiful Home Services for your next home improvement project? Give Andrew a call at 1-888-PAINT-10 or visit the website to learn more! You can also follow them on social media on Facebook: @bhspaints, Twitter: @BHSPaint, & Instagram: @leadsbhs