When you’re home hunting, it’s easy to spot the
great and the glaringly bad... but what about the little details that will
impact your daily life? Most people overlook these three details.
Think
you’ve found the perfect home? Think again. There are three little details
which can turn an ideal house into the world’s most annoying location. Before
you make your offer, take into account these three small, but surprisingly
important details:
#1: “Let me call you back on my landline.”
Does
your future dream home have cell reception? Check your signal when you’re on
the property and see if it has dead spots, poor/limited data connections, or
flat out “NO SERVICE” messages. This is especially important if you telecommute
or had planned on skipping a landline entirely. While you can try and live on
VoIP connections, WiFi, and other options, the hassle of a hole in cell
coverage can wear on you.
#2: “Wow, the commute is longer than I thought.”
It’s
a sunny Saturday afternoon, and for kicks you decide to see how long the drive
is from your potential dream home to your office. Doesn’t seem too bad, does
it? Now try it during rush hour on a Monday (in bad weather if you can swing
it). You might be surprised how school zones, backed-up interstate ramps, new
construction, and peak transit schedules extend that commute. This goes for
urban commutes too, so even if you don’t drive to work you’ll want to evaluate
the commute in real-world conditions.
#3: “What do you mean we’re outside your delivery zone?”
The
neighborhood was gentrifying. The home price was within your range. Now you
find out that there’s no such thing as food delivery to your new address! Don’t
assume that just because you’ve seen pizza delivery cars whipping through the
‘hood means they stop there. Restaurant delivery areas are often drawn like
congressional districts, so if you can, check out what the local food delivery
options are like ahead of time. Look up a few places, call them, and verify
they deliver to your address. (Asking the average delivery time is a good idea,
too.)
Markets
can be super competitive, but remember that you’re planning on living in this
new house for a considerable amount of time. (Most people would tell you at
least 5 - 7 years.) Perhaps your priorities don’t include these three details,
but they might to other buyers when you’re ready to sell. Time changes things,
but ask yourself: Do you want to put up with the annoyances for two years? Even
one?
Follow these simple tips and you won't overlook these small details when checking out potential
homes to buy.
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