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What are the core preferences for houses in your market?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Colorado Real Estate Advisers LLC CO ER100025633

 

Here in Colorado Springs we have a regular influx of people coming from all over the country. Some of them are military families but many are people just ready to try the Colorado lifestyle and weather.

 

A very common mistake is to not understand what home features will be important while living in the house and for resale. People who buy the cheapest house available often regret it once they have lived in the house for a while or when they try to resell it.

 

For a variety of reasons, Colorado Springs had an unprecedented number of house built by small local builders. Some of these builders built well thought out floor plans. Others, not so much. Here are examples of two houses I've shown recently.

 

# 1 Bedrooms were on the 2nd floor but once you went up the stairs you had to go through a large laundry room to get to the hall to the bedrooms.

 

# 2 A house with a split bathroom. The sink and shower were in one room while the commode was in a separate room down the hall. Really?

 

Here are some core preferences to consider for a house in Colorado Springs.

 

3 bedrooms on the same level. Parents don’t want their children to be in a basement bedroom if the master is on the main floor or an upper floor. Three level houses are common and 4 and even 5 level houses are often for sale.

 

Laundry on the same level as the bedrooms. It is very common to have the bedrooms on an upper floor and the laundry down in the back corner of the basement. Hauling clothes up and down gets old in a hurry.

 

5 piece master bathroom. Two sinks, commode, a standalone shower (preferably larger than the common 30 inch by 30 inch, and preferably having a built in bench) and a garden or soaking tub. These can be found in a few starter homes but are often inexplicably missing in median and even upper priced homes.

 

A bathroom on the main level. In many houses you, or your guests, must go to an upper level or to the basement to use a bathroom. Not ideal.

 

The right kitchen. You would think there was a law against kitchens have cabinets over 30 inches high. It can take some looking to find 36 inch cabinets and 42 inch cabinets are nowhere to be found until you get into upper price ranges. It is also common to have only a few upper cabinets and a small or non-existent pantry. I like to see at least 5 to 6 upper cabinets.

 

Eating areas. Many of Colorado Springs houses were built in the 1970’s or 1980’s when bi-level houses were the rage. It was common to have a small breakfast area and no dining room or 2nd eating area. Finding a house with a reasonably sized breakfast area and a large dining room can be a challenge in all but the highest price ranges.

 

Which direction for the driveway and back yard? A house with a south facing driveway will allow the sun to do the best job of melting snow the quickest and reduce shoveling. And before you say you just won’t shovel, there is an ordinance and / or HOA covenants that require sidewalks be cleared no later than 24 hours after the snow stops falling. But a south facing driveway means the backyard is facing north and will be buffeted by the north winds and catch the most snow. Gardeners don’t like north facing back yards. A good comprise is an east facing driveway with a west facing back yard. That puts the morning sun on the driveway and gives afternoon sun on the back yard.

 

Driveway length and slope. The least expensive houses often have very small lots. A very short driveway or a driveway with a too much slope is undesirable. If a driveway is iced over, even a moderate slope can make getting in and out of a garage a problem.

 

Garage. I spent most of my life in Southern California or in the south where a carport was the norm. Everyone parked outside and if you had a garage it was for storage. Not so in Colorado, you are going to want to park in the garage. Cars and especially trucks and SUV’s have gotten larger in recent decades. Have you seen an old pick up next to today’s dual cab models? Even Honda Accords and similar cars have grown. Many garages are only 17 to 19 feet deep and or wide. Not big enough to get two cars in much less the big trash and recycling bins, the garage freezer, bikes, and other “stuff” that we need to put in the garage. So even in starter houses we are looking for garages that are as deep (at least 20 feet deep) as possible and as wide as possible. "Right hand" garages or "right swing" garage are preferred of their left hand counter parts. Sorry "lefties" of the world, no offense intended :)

 

Back yard size and fences. A trend for many of the houses built in the last decade was to have very small back yards and covenants that limited fencing to low “split rail” fences. This is not conducive to owning a very big dog.

 

Last but not least is roofing material. The roofing industry has a less than stellar track record over the last 40 years. Here is a good article on different roofing manufacturers and the various lawsuits that have been filed for poor roofing materials.

 

http://www.seattleroofbroker.com/FAQ-ClassAction.htm

 

In Colorado we have wind and hail and then more wind and hail so a good roof is crucial. Over the last 30 years a particular roof, known as T-Lock or T-lok, was commonly used. Unfortunately it didn't always hold up well and it is no longer made. Because it is a very unique shape shingle there are no replacement materials available. So if a T-Lock roof is damaged, it can’t be repaired, it must be completely replaced. Virtually every insurance company will either not cover these roofs or has special deductibles or exclusions. This can be a problem getting a loan or avoiding “force placed” insurance with your lender if your insurance company cancels you because of the roof.

 

But finding the right house makes living here absolutely delightful.

 

What are the 2 -3 core preferences for houses in your market? Are there any "interesting" must have features in your market?

 

 

Posted by

David Gibson, 

Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE)

Broker / Owner Colorado Real Estate Advisers LLC

Independent Real Estate Broker

Colorado (License # ER100025633) and Texas (License # TX 499067)

Email: broker719@gmail.com

Phone: 719-304-4684

3326 Sand Flower Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

I help my clients buy "A Better House at Lower Cost."

 

Sellers ~ I offer staging, professional photography, drone photography and videos. I'd like to send you a link to our listings so you get an idea how great your house can look.

 

Call or text me at 719-304-4684, or email me at broker719@gmail.com for more house choices and better deals.

Comments (1)

Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

David, great analysis, too often builders forget to put on the common sense hat...I have seen homes were the gym was next to the kitchen were the pantry should have been....Endre

Aug 07, 2015 07:47 AM