Published July 30, 2020

What Do I Look for When Buying an Older Home?

Written by Anderson Hicks Group

What Do I Look for When Buying an Older Home? header image.

If you want to buy an older home, these are the issues to look for.

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Welcome back to another episode of Real Estate Talk with Andrew Hobbs (four more of these episodes and I get a free house)! I’m here with Kris from the Anderson Hicks Group, and we’re going to be discussing older homes. Speaking of which, Kris’ fantastic beard smells of mossy oak. However, if you’re selling an older house and it smells like mossy oak, that’s not necessarily a good thing.

If I wanted to buy an older home in Southeast Idaho, what should I look for? Kris says your main concern should be the quality of the sewer lines. Old tree roots could lift cement or damage water lines. Also, check the electrical; many times you have older electrical elements or aluminum windows that aren’t as insulated, so you’ll lose heat and A/C. Older houses are generally more worn, so you may have roof or plumbing issues too. This can all be discussed at the time of the inspection. At the same time, there’s a lot of character to older homes; here in Idaho Falls, we have some historic houses that may include all brick exteriors, original hardwood floors, arched entryways, built-in dining hutches, and so many more things that you just cannot find with a newer home.

Older houses are generally more worn, so you may have roof or plumbing issues.

Kris is a real peach, and I learned that when you buy an older home, you should treat it like you’re a young buck who dates cougars; older ladies need to be treated right. Make sure everything’s squared away with your older home because you don’t want anything shocking you later.

If you have questions about buying an older house or real estate in general, reach out to the Anderson Hicks Group via phone or email. They would love to help you.