Condos can be an ideal purchase for Southern Maryland homebuyers on tight budgets. The cost of a condo is typically lower than a single-family home, insurance is less expensive, and ongoing home maintenance costs are kept to a minimum.
But some aspects of buying a condo should never be ignored. These include:
- The periodic association fee, and how much it will add to your monthly house payment.
- The homeowner association packet of documents for the homebuyer (it includes vital information).
- Communities with a large number of homes for sale. Do the research required to find out why so many residents are leaving.
When you tour a Southern Maryland condo, however, there are some thing you can ignore.
Look Beyond Cosmetics
Cosmetic issues are easily remedied and typically inexpensive to fix. Ignore the following while looking at condos for sale:
Wall color
Paint colors are personal, and what one person loves may be repulsive to another. Because condos are usually smaller than single-family homes, distasteful wall colors can overtake entire rooms.
Not only that, but the wrong color can make a room appear smaller than it is. Don’t let the paint fool you; measure rooms to get the true size.
Then, remember that walls can be transformed relatively inexpensively.
The average square footage of a condo in the U.S. is 1,482, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The nationwide average cost to paint a home this size, without hiring a professional, is between $200 and $300 for basic paint and $400 to $600 for high-quality paint.
Hire a pro to do it for you for about $1,100 to $2,000, according to costhelper.com.
Ignore the walls – it’s an easy, inexpensive fix.
Dark and gloomy is also an easy fix
We’ve visited a lot of homes over the years, and it remains a mystery to us how some people can live in dark, gloomy homes! Even a lack of natural light shouldn’t prohibit you from introducing artificial light sources to the home, especially when it’s a known fact that light can lift our moods.
Don’t let gloom stop you from making an offer if the condo has everything else you want in a home. Lighting is inexpensive, and the right fixtures can totally transform your home.
Check out the room-by-room lighting guide at Huffington Post and ways to enhance your decorating scheme with lighting at bhg.com.
The personal stuff will be gone
It’s easy to be distracted by all that dated furniture, collections of books or knick-knacks, family photos, or other personal items and clutter. It might be challenging, but remember that all of that will be gone when you move in. Look beyond the clutter to the basic flow of each room.
The flip side is just as dangerous
Ugly interiors are distracting – but gorgeous ones can be distracting, too! Stagers are skilled at making homes look move-in ready and creating an interior that appeals to a broad range of homebuyers.
Don’t buy into the fantasy!
Those Imperial silk draperies will most likely go home with the stager when the home is sold. Ditto for all the accessories that go into the psychological appeal of the room, the throw pillows, fresh flowers and plants and mirrors and artwork.
Staged rooms also may not be as large as you think they are. Some stagers use smaller-scale furniture to trick the eye into making a room appear bigger. Paint colors are also chosen to make homes seem roomier.
If you’re not sure whether your furniture will fit in the home, measure each room.
The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) cautions homebuyers that stagers often use “furniture and wall hangings to cover up or direct a buyer’s attention away from floor damage or wall damage.” They also remind homebuyers that staged homes are often perceived as being well-maintained homes. Often, this perception is far from reality.
“Many times, staged homes take advantage of the staging to cover up deferred maintenance issues and improper construction and repair issues,” they say in the 2007 report, “How to Not Get Tricked by Staging, and Potentially Save $5,645 when you Buy your Home.”
Ignore the home’s staging, and perform your due diligence by looking behind wall hangings and under rugs and furniture.
Whether the Southern Maryland condos you tour are diamonds in the rough or staged to perfection, it pays to look beyond the cosmetics to whether the space works for your needs and lifestyle.
Waldorf MD Homes for Sale and Real Estate Services in Southern Maryland. You now have a search engine to help you with your Southern Maryland home search! And I’m ready to provide you with a custom home valuation if you’re considering selling your home. Let’s connect to discuss how I can help you. Contact Kimberly Bean at 301-440-1309
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