When we show properties in the metro-Boston area, it is impossible to judge their value without considering the cost of repairing and maintaining them. That's why electronic valuation programs are so wildly wrong; they can't tell the difference between a not-renovated house, a badly maintained house, or a maintained-but-not-updated house and a fully renovated one.
What is under that vinyl? My neighbors decided to spruce up their exterior, they exchanged their faded mint-green vinyl for trendy dark blue vinyl. I took the opportunity to provide you with this tour of vinyl siding. Around here, the vast majority of vinyl sided houses have perfectly serviceable wood shingles underneath. People choose vinyl
One of the common repair items that end up on a buyer’s “to do, now!” list is removing knob and tube wiring. Knob and tube is a form of electrical wiring used in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a rubber sleeve covering the wires and porcelain knobs to prevent them from touching the
Improvements. Which ones pay off at resale? I get asked that all the time. Once our clients become homeowners, they start thinking like sellers. Some improvements pay back at a high rate at resale. Some only pay back in your enjoyment of the place (and may help you sell faster.) Here's a list from Groom
About five years after I moved into my house, I was working from home. I spent the morning writing and had a lunch date with a former client. At about 11:30, I heard water running in my basement. Home inspectors will warn you. New home owners don’t listen, including me. I went down to investigate
When you look at a roof, can you see the difference between an old one and a new one? We can! Let us give you a couple of tips. Asphalt and fiberglass-asphalt shingle are the most common roofing materials you will see in this area. They are built with a dark underside covered with granules
If you see powdery mortar, don’t panic. We see brick or stone that needs pointing on almost any house hunting trip. Repointing is normal maintenance for stone or brick foundations and chimneys. Over time, mortar deteriorates and becomes a powder. The powder falls out. It looks scary when you touch a foundation and see the
When I wrote for Boston.com, I got this question: How does a buyer figure out which problems common in “compromise” houses are fixable and which should signal the call “run away! How can buyers in a price bracket (say $50k wide) maximize their housing purchase – are there solutions to problems that are common in
A problem is not infinite if the house could be torn down and rebuilt. But who wants to do that? Some house problems are not finite; but “infinite” is not the right term. What would be an infinite problem? There are some houses that never should have been built. They cannot be leveled and another
In the process of choosing a house or condo to buy, house-hunters find themselves in a lot of old houses. Some are totally renovated. Some have been repaired along the way. For recent renovations, look at both the materials and quality of the installation. With a maintained house, look for the quality of the repairs,