Older homes have an attractive appeal to many buyers at Sotheby’s Scottsdale. They have unique features, can be a little cheaper, but can also require significant renovations. However, some home buyers on a tight budget don’t mind spending a few years to remodel a house. 

 

Before you buy an older home, though, at Sotheby’s Scottsdale I recommend hiring a professional general contractor to go with you as you shop for homes so that person can do brief inspections and estimates and can even give you an idea of expenses down-the-road. This will help you with the pros and cons and hopefully help you find a home that won’t cost too much. 

 

Here are a few things to look out for before buying an older home.

 

Siding

Repainting siding on a Sotheby’s Scottsdale home can be time consuming and expensive. Although most homes in the Scottsdale area do not have wooden siding, some do and it’s something to consider before buying. 

 

Roof

Look at the roof’s wear and tear. You can either install another layer of shingles, if possible, or completely replace the roof. Or ask the seller to do it before making an offer.

 

Electrical wiring

If you already have moved into an older home at Sotheby’s Scottsdale, hire an electrician to look at the electrical wiring in the home since many older homes have issues with this. You might need to replace it to avoid major short circuit and breakdowns in your household appliances. 

 

Wood-burning fireplace

The old-school wood-burning fireplace does add charm to an older home, but there are safety issues with one and it will lead to you replacing the furnace at some point. That’ll add several thousand dollars to your renovation expenses. 

 

Outlets

When the older home was built, people back then didn’t need as many outlets as we do today. So, unless you want to deal with a bunch of extension cords and wire webs, you’ll need to sink some money into additional outlets for each room in your Sotheby’s Scottsdale home Each one costs about $100.

 

Insulation

Older homes also lack proper insulation, which will add to the cost of heating and cooling. To avoid huge energy bills you’ll need to upgrade the home’s insulation.

 

Plumbing

Replacing old plumbing is the most difficult and most expensive to replace. But at some point, it’ll need to be done; otherwise, you’ll be putting up with a bad odor, blockage, leakage, and deteriorated water lines and sewer.

 

Insurance

You’ll likely be paying ore for insurance in an older home due to what an insurance company will argue is a higher fire hazard due to the old wiring, older roof, etc.

 

When buying any older home, it’s always best to hire a highly-qualified general contractor to inspect any home before you buy it.