Taking a step towards homeownership is a smart one. The earlier you can buy your first home, the better. After all, putting money into a home versus an apartment someone else owns is way more effective and something you can add to. Whether you’re a young couple or a young single entrepreneur, here are some smart home buying tips for young adults.
Invest in Quality Floors
You can buy a home that’s a fixer-upper and install good floors later. If you’re lucky, your first home may already come with quality hardwood or other solid surface floors. While carpeting has its advantages in warmth and insulation, it requires a lot of upkeep. You have to pay for a vacuum, and if you want to keep it bacteria-free, you should also get regular steam cleaning. Plus, carpets hold a lot of stains, odors, and bacteria, which can worsen if you have a pet. At the end of the day, your carpet flooring may be cheaper upfront but can cost you way more on the backend. That’s why smart home buying tips for young adults often include finding flooring contractors specializing in solid wood floors.
After all, a good hardwood floor can last up to 100 years with good maintenance. That maintenance isn’t something extraordinary, as you can have your wood floors refinished, stained, and varnished to maintain their look as the decades go on. Unless you plan to live for over 100 years, your investment in wooden floors may outlive you and be something to pass down to your children or grandchildren if you remain in the same home. These floors can add value to your home even if you bought a home that was run down and you fixed it up. If you decide to sell your first home, expect to make a significant profit with solid hardwood floors as it’s flooring most homebuyers look for.
Get a Metal Roof
Americans are in love with asphalt roofing. It makes sense because it’s a versatile roofing material that comes in various colors and styles. Asphalt roofing can fit in any American region and withstand different types of weather to an extent. If you’re comfortable living in a uniform American neighborhood, this roofing won’t make your new home stand out. However, there are roofing materials that can have a long lifespan compatible with hardwood floors. Such roofing is metal.
Metal is known for its beauty, versatility, and recyclable properties. After all, if you prefer to live in an ecological green home, rest assured both your hardwood floors and metal roofing can be recycled for different purposes once they’re too weak to serve their purpose in your house. A metal roof can last 40 to 70 years, according to Bob Villa. Therefore, this type of roof can easily outlast you, as long as you have a proper installation from a certified roofing contractor. In addition to metal, slate is just as durable in its wind and fire protection qualities. It can even mimic the appearance of metal but is more expensive. That’s why smart home buying tips for young people include focusing on a more durable roof, even if you have to pay more money upfront. Because at the end of the day, you’ll save in additional repairs or premature installation costs.
Check the Pipes
One of the top smart home buying tips that young homeowners should know about is piping. While there are certain things you could always do yourself or hire a contractor for without much upheaval, you shouldn’t ignore plumbing issues in the house. If you buy a house so run down because of poor pipes, it can be a major issue to take on. Ask for an inspection list that provides information about any plumbing repair previously done before you bought the home. Become familiar with any issues, such as leaks, and understand what type of piping material is in the house.
According to Statistica, over 60% of American homes were built before 1980. While that’s not a problem, you should be aware that lead pipes were found in many buildings until the early 80s. This type of piping has been linked to neurological issues such as brain damage. Therefore, you don’t want to run the risk that your fixer-upper may be an older home that never fully inspected or had replacements in terms of its lead pipes or poisonous asbestos insulation. If you have lead piping in your new home, invest in quality PVC or copper pipes. These are pipes that won’t leak into your water and are safe to transport your drinking water and wastewater.
Learn About Water Damage
If you’ve never had to deal with homeownership before, you may not be too familiar with water damage. Water damage is the bane of any homeowner’s existence. It can result from a leaky roof or a cracked pipe. Your home may suffer during a natural disaster that floods the basement. Becoming familiar with waterproofing materials is an essential and smart home buying tip for any young person today. Waterproofing materials can include a metal roof that doesn’t have seams, so it’s less likely to leak into a wood or asphalt shingle roof.
Basement finishing and foundation repair specialists can also use waterproofing materials to seal off your basement from drainage concerns. They will check for cracks in walls and floors that may signify that the basement has already seen significant water damage underneath. They also install a sump pump to usher rainwater away to a ravine or nearby stream. If you have a raised basement or deck, they can also adjust your crawlspace area and make it mold and humidity-free. You should become familiar with the signs of water damage such as dark wet stains on your walls and ceilings. Don’t ignore those as that’s a sign that your foundation has already been affected. Behind those walls, you may already have mold, which can cause a range of health issues from asthma to upper lung infection. Therefore, smart home buying tips involve leaving room in your budget to make any waterproofing upgrades needed to protect your home from an excessive rain storm flood, or busted pipe. Humidity is also a concern when it comes to waterproofing your home, as a humid environment is also enough to breed mold.
Consider Classic Elements
As you’re looking at homes, be aware of the value of certain classical elements. Some smart home buying tips include focusing on homes that already have crown moldings installed. This decorative trim can make any home look elegant and is an additional architectural detail you see at the top edges of interior walls, where it meets the ceiling. It provides a nice transition between the walls and ceilings and is visually appealing. Some people use it to enhance other architectural elements like cabinets. The simpler ones are colonial crown moldings, whereas you may see more classic curves and details in traditional crown moldings. A crown molding is often made from wood, or it may be from lightweight polyurethane. Medium-density fiberboard is another type that’s more affordable and takes well to paint. If you plan on having crown moldings installed after you move in, make sure you find a reputable contractor who can show examples of precise attention to detail that beautiful crown molding should have. This installation should always look seamless and professional, so don’t hire a contractor who has sloppy work.
Go for Stone
Countertops or a stand-out feature in any home or bathroom. It’s where you can do your food prep and have open storage for items not in your cabinets. You have an option when it comes to countertop material. It could be made from wood, metal, or synthetic materials. However, smart home buying tips include countertops made from natural stone. Natural stones like granite and marble are viewed as a symbol of luxury and are durable. Make things easy and get a home that already has new stone countertops installed, or set a budget aside to add that to a renovation soon.
Focus on a Deck
Americans are more in love with decks and patios than ever. In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, people were stuck at home for a couple of years and truly saw the value of having a home that was as comfortable as possible. The need to go outdoors and enjoy that time from the comfort of home became more valuable. That’s why more homeowners continue to prefer homes with a deck or at least room for one. If you find the home of your dreams that doesn’t have a deck installed, get it if it has enough landscape to build one. Giving yourself room for a deck or patio can enhance your quality of life. A smart home buying tip is to focus on enough outdoor space for a professional deck builder to create something that can add great financial value and comfort to your space. Once you have a deck or patio, enhance it with an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, grill, built-in seats, retractable awnings, and even a hot tub.
Don’t Neglect Your Lawn and Landscaping
There’s nothing like having a beautiful lawn and backyard to enjoy. Regardless of how green your land is when you move in, it won’t stay that way if you don’t know how to maintain it. That’s why you’re smart home buying tips include finding a professional landscaper you trust. This professional can ensure your lawn is mowed and your grass is always green and lush. Landscapers know the right fertilizer to use and how often to use it. After all, all fertilizer isn’t created equally, but they know which one to use based on the plant species on your property. That way you don’t have to worry about your new home having yellow or brown grass that can look unsightly and won’t provide the proper foundation for a garden.
Consider the Septic Tank
Do you plan on buying a home with a septic tank? If you plan on making this investment, ensure you have adequate septic services. According to Bob Vila, your septic tank should be pumped at least every three to five years. As a homeowner, you must be able to maintain your septic tank, so it won’t overflow. Otherwise, it can ruin the effort you put into your landscape and your house if there’s a toxic leakage from a damaged tank. So, make sure you only buy a home with an inspected septic tank. Otherwise, focus on a home that has a municipal line for your waste management.
Inspect for Mold
Have you been offered a home sale that seems too good to be true? While some people want to offload the house as soon as possible, sometimes there may be underlying reasons, such as mold. You don’t want to mess with mold, as it affects your health, will cost you more money for remediation, and can ruin the value of your property. That’s why smart home buying tips include ensuring your property is mold-free. You should make note of any waterproofing efforts you would have to handle upon moving in. Assess whether the home is a hotbed for mold and how much money you would have to put into it to repair that situation. There are local mold and water removal companies who can help you. So you should get quotes beforehand if you suspect that the house you like could be prone to mold now or in the future.
Buying your first home as a young adult is an exhilarating experience. Whether doing so on your own or with your spouse, you’re ready to take on a property that’s yours to mold in any way you see fit. However, make sure you utilize the smart home buying tips so you don’t run into unnecessary problems or waste money. Be aware of things you have to renovate upon moving in and what things are non-negotiable before you sign on the dotted line. From stone countertops to a functioning septic tank, pay attention to these tips when looking for a new home in 2024.
