I don’t know about you, but I love driving through historic neighborhoods! Grand old homes, with detailed architecture, beautiful peaks, and peaceful porches, are quite breathtaking. Beauty also comes with additional financial benefits. Because historical houses are typical in an established neighborhood or district, the homes’ projected prices appreciate quicker than other areas. Also, when a resident is indeed classified as a historic home and not merely an old house, owners may be able to take advantage of tax breaks that newer homes might not qualify.

When you’re about to put your hard-earned money into a home, you want to know everything you can about that home’s history. While there are common questions to ask about a home’s condition, history, and location, there are some questions buyers often overlook. 

Don’t rely on sellers to volunteer this information. In some cases, they may not even know the answers for themselves. Protect your potential investment. These questions can help you get to the bottom of potential pitfalls:

Everyone can argue what room in the home is the most important. While the kitchen and living room are primarily important, the bedroom also ranks high in importance. When buyers are touring a home, they will envision themselves living there, and a stale bedroom with outdated style can be a deal-breaker. Instead of scaring off potential buyers, use these tips to update and freshen up your bedroom’s stale design to create a relaxing, calming space.

Homeowner's insurance is vital for protecting your investment. Lenders also require coverage if you have a mortgage on your home. For some reason, many homeowners overlook ways they can save money on their premiums. Shopping around is a good idea, but like auto insurance, there are many simple things you can do to impact how much you pay annually to protect your home.

Have you been living in a single-bathroom home? Is the time here to consider adding an extra full-bathroom or “water closet” to your existing layout? First, know that of all the renovations you can make to a single-bathroom home, adding an extra bathroom is one of the soundest investments you can make. With rare exceptions, the money you put into a second bathroom should pay handsomely when you list your house in the future. The bathroom is one of the most-used rooms in your home, and it can have a profound impact on how prospective buyers see your home in the future. If you’ve been curious about the process or want to make the leap to a two-bathroom home without relocating, you’ll want to keep some tips in mind about this particular renovation project.  

Home inspection professionals are trained to spot problems and evaluate a home’s overall condition. Home inspectors will do their best to be ethical and thorough. However, they are also still human, and as a result, sometimes details escape their attention. 

If you’re making a significant investment in a home, there’s no reason you have to leave 100% of the inspection up to someone else. There are areas you can review for yourself (or hire an outside party to review).

Before you sign off on a house, don’t neglect to review these commonly overlooked areas:

Maintaining indoor air quality is an extremely important, but often overlooked, component of living happily in your home. It’s an invisible problem, but the costs can add up— from high energy bills to unpleasant health issues.

If you love your home and plan to live it in through your retirement years, you’ll want to be sure it’s safe for you as you face some of those little challenges aging presents. Assess your home and see if there are any changes you may need to make. Doing so will not only reduce the risk of injury, but it will also give your loved ones peace-of-mind, especially if you live alone.

Part of the financial power of homeownership resides in your home’s equity. Unlike rent, which goes into a landlord’s pocket, the equity you build in your home can be a useful financial tool when the time is right. Home equity is defined as, “a homeowner’s unencumbered interest in their real property—that is, the difference between the home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property.” (Source: Wikipedia)

When inventory is tight and a market heats up, sellers often dream of finding themselves in a multiple offer situation. In a multiple offer situation, more than one potential buyer submits a written offer on the home. With multiple offers on a property, the listing agent can then try and “shop the top offer” in order to try and get the best deal possible for their client.

If you live in a hot market, how do you structure your listing in such a way that you get the best possible offers in a multiple offer situation?