Real estate agents and home inspectors use the phrase “good bones” all the time, but what does it actually mean? It does not mean that your house is like a skeleton or that it doesn’t have more than the basics to offer. The truth is that good bones have positive meaning for the house in question.
How can you tell if a house has good bones? A home inspector may use the following examples to help you understand the concept of a house that has the good makings for a future home.
Home inspectors understand what gives a house good bones from top to bottom.
Strong Floor Plan
A house with good bones often has an intuitive floor plan. Rooms flow into each other and are often organized by use. For instance, the kitchen and dining room should have openings to each other. Similar rooms should be paired for easy use. For example, private bedrooms should be grouped up.
Additionally, a solid floor plan will include a functional number of rooms. Today, a home with good bones will have a good ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms. It is rare for new homes to have four bedrooms and only one bathroom, for example.
Part of this floor plan includes excellent natural lighting. Large windows offer advantageous lighting and ambiance. The overall feeling that a home gives off, often described as its atmosphere, makes an impact on a buyer.
No Need for Large Repairs
In order for a home to have good bones, the home’s infrastructure should be in excellent condition. Infrastructure includes the home’s plumbing, electric work, and foundation. In its current state, the home should be considered livable without expensive repairs.
Good bones also includes high-quality construction of the home’s structure. Houses should be devoid of cracks and sagging, for example. The home should be safe to live in with no major concerns about its integrity.
Quality of the material used in the home will impact the value. A house with good bones is one that has been constructed with the best materials rather than with the materials that are most affordable or accessible.
Possible Need for Cosmetic Repairs
Even if a home has good bones, it is entirely possible that it still needs some work, ranging from painting the walls to updating rooms that seem trapped in time. The good news is that these repairs are only cosmetic, and the rest of the home is deemed acceptable. The shell of the home is in good shape.
The need for cosmetic repairs is subjective, whereas the need for structural repairs is often an objective issue. The good news is that cosmetic issues are often less expensive and more easily addressed than those deep-seated foundational issues.
Understanding a home inspection’s purpose can help you understand what it means for a house to have good bones.
Do You Know Good Bones When You See Them?
No matter how fantastic a house looks and no matter how good the “bones” are, it is always wise to have a home inspected. Only a home inspector can really verify if a home has good bones, but some people seem to have a natural talent for identifying the highlights of a home. Does this sound like you? Enroll now to see if this is the right career path for you.
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