Buying An Older Home
Tips For Blouberg Homes:
Buying a home is no easy decision, especially not with the variety of styles available today. Newly built homes are what most home buyers are looking for because of the added benefit of all the fittings being new and no renovations needing to be done, but new homes are not always the best buy. Buying older Blouberg homes has many benefits and can possibly be one of the best investments you will ever make.
New homes are often situated on the outskirts of towns and cities, for the reason that old houses are already occupying the spaces near the hubs of activity. Newer homes also lack the sense of charm older houses have. Old homes are great because they all have a history that can be “felt” throughout the house. If they are not quite large enough or you wish to update the home, they can be renovated and changed. In doing so, its value will only increase whereas altering a newly built home may not necessarily increase its selling price by much.
To buy an older home is always a bit more risky than buying one newly built, but with sufficient knowledge about the do’s and don’ts of buying an older home you will be smiling for many years about your “old and steady” investment. Here are the most important ones:
- First of all, make sure you know what you want. If you want a home with all the modern fixtures, first assess what type of work may need to be done to it. Consider whether all the renovations may actually be damaging to the old-style charm of the home and if that is the case, it may be better to opt for portable air conditioners (for instance).
- The plumbing and electrical wiring needs to be checked by a person that specializes in the field before buying. Do not inspect it yourself unless you really do have years of experience.
Older homes may have a lot of wood finishes throughout. In most cases where the home has been well-cared for, the wood will be in a good state, but it’s always good to check for termites and unevenly coloured spots caused by water damage etc. Try to get an idea of what the wood is like on the inside; termites can’t always be spotted from the outside and you may land up with damaged wood that will have to be replaced – this can become quite costly.- The walls of the home must not be severely cracked. Walls show hairline all the time and can be fixed quite easily. Even new homes will sometimes have cracks in their walls but in older homes severe cracks can be quite catastrophic. It’s always a good idea to check for structural damage by simply knocking on the walls at a few places for hollow spots. These hollow spots are created when bricks and cement crumble over time for various reasons, including constant dampness.
Lastly the neighbourhood is also very important. A neighbourhood known for its older houses and architecture is most often valued the same way antique furniture is done; priced for its age. Older homes in older sections of Blouberg are often the most valuable.
