Good Bones – What Does That Mean?
When working with buyers, we often tell them to look at the “bones” of a house and not get caught up in the cosmetic items that may or may not accurately reflect the home’s true state.
What do we mean by “good bones”? Here are a few examples that are used (excerpts from an article in Realtor.com by Adriana Velez):
Good bones mean a home’s floor plan flows
“To me, good bones mean a house has a good floor plan,” says Maria Luisa Castellanos, a Realtor and president of United Architects in Coral Gables, FL. That means the floor plan flows well, so it’s easy to get from one area of a home to another, and it all makes sense, based on what you’re doing in these spaces.
“Related rooms need to be near each other,” Castellanos continues. For instance, the kitchen should be next to the dining room, rather than at the opposite end of the house.
“Intuitive room flow has to do with what designers typically refer to as adjacencies,” adds Bilox Wells, owner of Find Home Pro. “That may mean the kids’ rooms are near the master bedroom, or the garage leads directly into the house.”
Jesse Fowler, president of Tellus Design+Build, notes that homes with good bones generally need little work in terms of major repairs. The infrastructure—such as the foundation, electricity, and plumbing—are all in good shape.
“The structure itself is good, ” Fowler explains. “The house is sound, not sinking, and there are no big framing or concrete repairs needed.”
For me, good bones means the home feels solid. It has been maintained well and the underlying infrastructure and systems are sound and in good working order. There are no signs of structural or water problems. Once you look at a few homes as a buyer, you will get a feel for what has good bones and what does not.
Bottom line – look past the cosmetic and look behind the curtain.
Vince
“Curiously Working For You!”
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