Bad weather outside?
That's the perfect time to go house shopping.
I bet that when you picture your dream house, the weather in that picture is perfect. Sunny. 72 degrees, a light breeze. Maybe you’re enjoying your favorite coffee on the front porch. The lawn is green and lush.
Now picture two inches of rain, a car full of groceries, and a kid or two melting down in the backseat. That’s real life. And that “perfect” picture needs to hold up on those days, too.
I’ve said for years that the best time to go see a house is in the rain. But honestly? Rain is just the start. If you really want to know what you’re buying, you should try to see a house in all the weather the NRV can throw at it. And lately, that might be all four seasons in a week.
Rain is my classic stress test. A heavy downpour will show you things a sunny afternoon never will. Where does the water go? Does the yard drain away from the house, towards it, or does it drain at all?
And then there’s the basement.
True story. Years ago, I was showing a house to Jesse and Stacy, and the seller, who was home at the time, offered up, “The basement is dry as can be.” When we went down there, we found everything up on pallets and shelves, a squeegee leaning against the wall, and a small river running from the wall to a drain in the middle of the floor. Yep - dry as can be. A mop tucked away in a closet is easy to miss. Puddles and stains on the floor during a storm or not. Rain don’t lie.
But it’s not just rain. Remember that polar vortex from a couple of weeks ago? Consider how the driveway handles ice - is it south-facing, and will get more direct sun, or north-facing? Inside, look for the drafts. Cold air sneaking around windows and doors is a lot more obvious when it’s 20 degrees outside. Look at the thermostats - are they cranked up to 75? And don’t forget to look up. The roof will show things like ice dams, or snow sitting unevenly - all clues about insulation and attic ventilation.
And then there’s that sun from your picture-perfect vision of that dream home. Is the house shaded by mature tree cover, or does that “ridge-view” leave you exposed and baking in the sun? For homes with crawl spaces, summer temps can reveal moisture issues that may stay hidden the rest of the year.
Fortunately - or unfortunately - you can’t see a house in all four seasons. So what’s the point then? Well, our goal at Nest is to get you into a home you’ll love for as long as you want to stay. That means you need to like the house on its worst days, not just its best. No house is perfect in every condition. What matters is knowing that what you’re buying is not going to turn into a migraine after you’ve got the keys. We’re going to work hard to help you navigate the twists, turns, and surprises - whether delightful or worrisome. And if someone else pushes you to wait for a little sunshine, give us a shout. We’re not afraid of bad weather - and it wouldn’t bother my hair, anyhow.