Buyer Question 2: How Do We Ensure That We Really & Completely Know The Condition Of The Home We Are Hoping To Buy?!

Welcome back to the Homes of Silicon Valley blog as we continue our series of the 3 biggest questions that all buyers have. If you missed “BUYER QUESTION 1: DOES ‘WINNING’ MEAN OVERPAYING?!” – check it out here! As we proceed, let’s keep it real and all agree that Silicon Valley real estate is a BIG investment, not just today – but for the years to come. You not only want to know what you are getting… but what it’s going to take to maintain it over time. The highest levels of enjoyment and the greatest levels of return on your investment both have a lot to do with the condition of the home you buy… which leads us to buyer question number two…

If you are like most of the buyers we work with, you are wondering “How do we ensure that we fully know the condition of the home we are considering purchasing?”. This where most people think the ‘D’ word solves everything. But if you simply skim the disclosures, are you confident that you know everything you NEED to know about the home?

We certainly wouldn’t hinge our biggest purchase on disclosures alone, and we don’t think you should either. We DO think you should take these 5 steps along with us to make sure the home you want isn’t just everything you need, but doesn’t have every problem you don’t.

#1: The Walk-Thru. We could arm wrestle to tell you which one of us is THE pickiest (are your bets on Mark or Jason…?!), but detail is what we do. With decades of experience and a home building background among us, there is a ton we can gleam and point out just from our initial exploration. Let us show you!

#2: The Disclosure Assessment. We are committed to reading the seller-provided disclosures even more thoroughly than you do, and also to evaluating the quality (or lack thereof) of what has been completed. Some disclosures are NOT worth the paper they are printed on (read about that here), while some are a great base for step 3…

#3: Decide What’s Missing. Does the home have a pool – let’s get a pool inspection. Does the neighborhood have a history of homes with foundation issues – let’s get a structural engineer out. We advise buyers to ask themselves to consider not just what they can see, but what they don’t. The missing piece of the puzzle could be the most expensive one… (ask us about the number of chimneys we have seen that need total rebuilds!).

#4: The Big Picture. Once we help buyers review how the home looks on person and on paper, we then take a step back at how it feels. Are the sellers desperate to get out? Is the agent STILL sweating from prepping this thing for sale? Were many of the updates or repairs completed right before sale… or as pride of ownership by the current owners? Sometimes a well-loved home in need of a little TLC is in better condition than a quick fix n’ flip with poor quality upgrades.

#5: The Cost of Ownership Potential. It’s no secret that every home needs maintenance, but do you know which improvements are likely to be needed when…? We can help you assess if the roof or furnace is first on the list, and what safety vs. cosmetic upgrades can make a huge difference in your quality of life and the quality of your investment.

If you feel like assessing the condition of your potential home starts with more questions than answers – you are right. But if you don’t ask… you may never know until the damage is done (pun intended). We can’t promise to find you a home that has a free and clear ‘honey-do’ list, but we can promise to review the home’s condition as thoroughly as if we were purchasing it for our own families… and that’s a standard we are proud to uphold.

Check back next week for Buyer Question #3... the hint is that it has something to do with the contract!

All our best,

Mark & Jason