The fundamentals of a 'good' house to buy
Category Blog
Choosing a home to buy is not easy and it shouldn't be just about 'likes and dislikes'. A good house should be laid out in a certain way and reveal itself to you in a certain order. If it does this, it will 'feel' right. A bit like receiving a gift. A protocol or procedure unfolds.
This sequence is followed in accepting a gift...
- open and read the attached card
- undo the ribbon and remove the gift wrap respecting how it's wrapped.
- open the box and take out the gift
- thank the giver of the gift
In much the same way, there is a distinct protocol of how a home should ideally reveal itself to a potential buyer.
Access to the residence should be by way of a portico or porch above the front door on the south side of the house, followed by an entrance hall. This then leads to the reception rooms which should flow into each other. The kitchen must be adjacent or open to the dining room, but also within easy reach of the entertainment patio. The bedrooms, of course, should be well separated from the reception rooms. It's a fundamental mistake to have a bedroom entrance directly off a reception room, or to have some bedrooms on one side of the house while others are on the other side.
The main bedroom should face north but also receive east light, a feel-good factor for morning starts. Reception rooms, ideally, to face north to receive light throughout the day. Older houses faced the street for the social benefits of engaging with neighbours.
If a house flows as outlined here, then generally it 'feels' right. All the other factors come into play thereafter such as age, condition, style, proportions, size etc.
A traditionally 'good' house should have a pitched roof rather than a flat roof.
Obviously, location in the suburb must be considered.
Consider the investment potential
Buying in the bottom half of the price range of an area creates a great investment vehicle for the years to come. Then for every R10 000 invested in improving the property its value increases by R15 000 plus. This is not too easy if the property value at the outset is in the top third of the area. Always consider improvements with 'selling one day' in mind. Be aware of the ceiling price in an area.
Author: Ronald Ennik
