Check The Gutters Before Buying A Home
People selling their home know the value of curb appeal. As a buyer, you need to be able to look past the staged home to see the real property. One way to do this is to look at the details. In this case, we are talking about the gutters.
You are probably wondering how gutters could be the key to evaluating a home. The simple fact is they play a critical role in maintaining a home, but are often overlooked. That makes them worth taking a look at.
What do gutters do? Obviously, their primary goal is to collect water at the roof line and move it. Just as important, however, is where they move it to. They must direct it down the wall and away from the home or risk flooding the structure.
When looking at gutters, start with the basics. How basic? Well, what type of gutters are there? The choices are usually wood, metal or plastic. The prominence of one type or another depends on the part of the country you live in.
The older the home you are looking at, the more likely wood gutters will have been used. The will fall apart if not maintained well. If you are looking at an older home that has older wood gutters in good shape, the house has been maintained well.
One step up from wood is the iconic metal gutter. These set the standard for a long time, which is somewhat odd since water and metal tend to be a bad mix. Look for rust. If you see it on the inside, the home has maintenance issues.
As with many items these days, plastic is the king when it comes to gutters. It does not rot or rust, so it is ideal. Unfortunately, plastic gutters do not tell us much about how the homeowners treated the home before deciding to sell it.
Regardless of how bad or good a gutter is, it is useless without a vertical system as well. These vertical attachments are, of course, known as downspouts. They can also tell us a bit about a home.
The downspout down the wall tells us very little, but the bottom tells everything. It should have a bent turn that keeps the water from pounding down on the ground. The water should instead be angled into a drain or path to a drain.
If you live in an area that gets snow, the placement of gutters is also an issue. They should be back up under the edge of the roof, not sticking out. If they stick out, snow will accumulate and rip them off the home.
This may seem like far more information than you ever wanted to know about gutters. It probably is, but such information can give you insight to whether a home has been maintained correctly. Such insight is invaluable.




