There are many guides on the internet that teach prospective home buyers when they should pack up their bags and run a mile from an opportunity unlikely to serve them. This is incredible, and we’re sure thousands of previous buyers would have wished to have such resources before they chose to put their own offers into select properties.
But it’s also true that a potential home buy isn’t always going to hide a million red flags you should try to uncover. While it’s good to look for that of course (without being paranoid or conspiratorial), sometimes it’s equally as helpful to see the hidden upsides of a property. In other words, learning not to overreact over small inconveniences or difficulties could potentially help you find a property you really love, one you may make a home out of for a decade or longer.
So, let’s flip the script a little, and talk about three reasons not to disregard that potential home buy. Without further ado, please consider:
Furniture Mismatches & Dimensions
Lots of buyers walk away when they see a room that looks too small or awkwardly shaped. Often this is just because the current owner’s furniture doesn’t fit the space well and they’re used to thinking through those parameters. But a huge sectional sofa can make a living room feel cramped. Dark cabinets might make a kitchen feel smaller than it is.
Try to look past the current setup and imagine the space with your own furniture, or even think about how you can buy more and perhaps use cabinetry professionals to better implement your own appropriate taste. If you take measurements and sketch out different layouts, what seems like an impossible room might just need the right-sized pieces to work perfectly.
Manageable Plane/Train/Road Noise
Outside noise scares off many buyers, but it’s worth thinking twice about this. Most people naturally adapt to consistent background noise over time if it’s not too overbearing or doesn’t cause you to wake up at night.
Moreover, modern windows and insulation can reduce sound significantly. Keep in mind that these locations often come with better transport links and lower prices too, especially if you’re near a rail station. Some buyers even find that regular, predictable noise like distant trains becomes oddly comforting, and even being under a flight path isn’t that bad. If you can, visit the property at different times to get an idea of what it’s like. Rush hour especially.
Largely Cosmetic Repairs Needed
Peeling wallpaper, dated light fixtures, or worn carpets make many properties look worse than they really are, even like they’ve fallen out of a horror novel. These surface-level problems are often straightforward to fix for the most part, with a little investment, and they might even give you room to negotiate more. While they might make the house look unloved right now, they don’t affect its fundamental structure or value (your house inspector will tell you if it does).
With this advice, we hope you can avoid disregarding a potential home buy when you may have had a decent opportunity on your hands.
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