Buying a House? Don’t Forget the Surroundings!

You’ve finally found the perfect home worth buying, closed escrow, and just finished moving in. As you happily fall asleep, all seems well in the world until an ear-splitting sound jolts you awake from your slumber a few hours later. Suddenly realizing that something isn’t right with this lovely new house of yours – everything is no longer as it should be!

I’ll cut to the chase. If you’ve seen “My Cousin Vinny,” then you know what I’m talking about and it’s not pretty. For those who haven’t, this classic comedy follows a lawyer as he defends his nephew against criminal charges in Alabama (the Deep South).

Every evening after long days of fighting for justice, our protagonist is awoken by some noisy animal “neighbors” that just won’t quit! When house hunting, you should make sure your new home doesn’t leave you Vinny’d.

Know the Area!!!

When you find an area or home that interests you, make sure to drive the neighborhood in order to listen for any potential noise producers. Roll down your window and turn off your radio so that all of your attention is on what’s around instead of outside distractions such as music from a car next door. You may be surprised at how much more you will hear than when driving by quickly with one ear focused outwards!

If you run across railroad tracks, it’s important to know how close they are to your prospective home. Make sure you’re near the house when a train goes by so you can hear all of its noise! While trains and plains may be obvious sources of sounds like loud horns or rumbling engines during the day, there could also be more subtle noises around at night that might affect potential buyers.

Weekends vs. Week Days

To avoid nasty surprises, make sure to check out the property during both weekdays and weekends. The characteristics of a neighborhood can be different on weekends than it is in weekday evenings because many homebuyers look at houses early on Saturday and Sundays; this results in some serious differences between what you might expect from your house depending when you go to see it. To guard against partying neighbors, double-check that they’re not throwing parties by taking another peak around the area later into evening hours.

You want to make sure the neighborhood is right for you. Another popular idea is to ask your friends. Put up a post on social media and ask.

“Hey friends, I’m looking at moving to the Staunton community. Do any of you live there? I could use some input. How is it for kids? Is it peaceful?”

Getting feedback from people that live in the area is always best. So don’t be afraid to put up that post and ask your friends & family.

As you’re looking for properties to buy, it’s important to remember that the home itself is not always enough. It’s also worth considering how noisy your neighborhood may be and what type of outside noises you might hear day-to-day.

As a professional home inspector, I can’t tell you when things like a loud owl or a railroad will keep you up at night. But, I can tell you if the home is safe for you and your family. If you have any questions about the home inspection process, please feel free to reach out.

Fire Prevention – 10 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe

February 21, 2023 No Comments

A fire can start in the blink of an eye, but the damage it leaves behind can last a lifetime. That’s why it’s so important to be proactive about fire prevention. Taking some simple steps to reduce the risk of a fire starting in your home is well worth the effort. Here are 10 tips to help you get started.