When Buying Your House, Buy the One with Good Bones

One major characteristic of a house with good bones is having a solid foundation. Rina Patel, a licensed Realtor and co-founder of We Buy Philly Home says, “A solid foundation is crucial for me, without it, you’ll be facing a hefty renovation cost.” She adds, “If you have a great house but faulty foundation, its going to be a lot harder and more expensive to fix.” Robert Taylor, owner of The Real Estate Solutions Guy, a house flipping company near Sacramento, CA looks for two main qualities in a house. He says, “Good bones start with the basic structure.” He looks for beneficial layouts, level floors, and walls without cracks. He’s also big on finding hidden gems, like hardwood flooring tucked beneath carpeting, in a home. He advises buyers not to get hung up on cosmetic issues, because those are often easy to fix. Good drainage is one indication of good bones. “Water can wreak havoc on a house,” Taylor notes, so he tells buyers to “look for possible drainage issues, especially if the home is on a sloped lot.” He also suggests inspecting the basement or other below-grade rooms for signs of water intrusion. Kurt Grosse, a real estate agent at HomesForSale.Vegas and former building engineer, advice homebuyers to be on the lookout for minor defects that can be signs of serious problems. For instance, a noticeable sag in a home’s roofline is an “absolute dead giveaway to tell if the house you are looking at have good bones or not,” he says. “Any visible sagging is an indication that there are possible issues with the framing.” No matter the age of the house, Grosse recommends buyers get a home inspection. Wanting to buy your own house but having difficulty qualifying for home financing? We can help. OwnerFinance can get you qualified even if you have credit problems, self-employed, lack of downpayment, residency problems or other issues.