When one has advantages, that do not inconvenience any other single person, I can see no reason not to use them. If the house you have under contract is vacant, and if your buyer's agent is accommodating, by all means, take some time to go occupy the space and take measurements, imagine color schemes, and re-evaluate details that might have whizzed past you in the initial mad rush of a home showing. When we had this house (Park West) under contract, and were at a crisis point of deciding whether to make it all the way to close after a disastrous inspection, we came over here a couple times, and walked around the empty space. The Mr was probably calculating in his head how much the repairs would cost in time and money. Me, I was making calculations that were far less mathematical and much more emotional. I listened to the walls and watched for messages in the light, to see whether I belonged here. If this were 1971, maybe I would say that I was making sure the house had the right vibe. Whatever it was, the answer inside of me was yes, this was my house. I still believe, after everything that has gone wrong since I moved in (much of which was no fault of the physical structure), this is my forever house, and I will live here until I die. I'm done moving. I made that decision sitting on the hard tile floor of the living room, with my back against the wall where the piano now sits, my butt getting sore from the uncomfortable position, when our realtor let us back into the house to try to fall in love with it again after the tragedy of the inspection. I'm glad she didn't let us give up on it.
The inspection on the most recent house I've had go under contract, the one for the buyers who are (ahem) closer to me than any others I've had or will have, is not scheduled until Thursday, but we went into it today, to make plans. I brought a tape measure and a notebook, and we talked about flooring choices, how much a kitchen costs, where the cat tower(s) should go, apple tree blight, and soil amendments. This house was a rental for eight years, and has some damage and some cheap superficial repairs, but these things don't scare us. I trained one of these buyers to be fearless in the face of home renovation projects, and I trained her well. The key was finding a place that was affordable in a crazy Colorado housing market, where we could win a multiple offer situation. (The last place was a learning experience, when a cash buyer swooped in and screwed over everyone.) Not sure this is a diamond in the rough, but maybe it's an uncut, unpolished amethyst. A pretty gem, just not ridiculously over budget. We found ways to economize a renovation, and where money would be well spent. For example, I was surprised to realize that there are only four actual windows in this house. There are also skylights and a sliding glass door to the back, plus there might be a small window in the front door. (If there's not, a new door isn't out of the question.) All four windows have blown the seals between the two panes, and at first I thought they just needed new glass. But there are so few of them, whole new windows might be a better solution, for energy efficiency and functionality. We would not have realized this detail until after closing, had we not gone over today. And now it will be easier to prioritize repairs before closing, to research costs, and compare products.
I know what it's like, being house-mad while you search, and especially once you get one on the hook. Once you're in the pipeline, all you want to do is pick out paint chips and figure out where your furniture will go, and dream about new appliances. (At least, that's what I do, and I'm fairly certain most other buyers do too.) It's more of an imposition if the home seller is still living in the place, but if it's vacant, I can't recommend highly enough, go visit it! Unless your agent is a jerk, which I'm sure some are, they should understand your enthusiasm, and be willing to set up a post-contract showing. I had a blast today, measuring and making suggestions. Granted, I'll be more in touch with this one than most, but I've done this for other buyers too. I am going to offer my assistance to all clients who want to do this. Don't be surprised if I am the one who brings it up in the future. This will be my modus operandi.
No comments:
Post a Comment