Get In The Gutter of That Home For Sale
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.
The first thing to know about gutters is the material being used. Most gutter systems are classified by the material they are made out of. The can be metal, plastic or wood. There uses differ depending on the climate and so on.
The most basic gutters are wood. They are found on older homes, but rarely on newer ones. Although treated, these gutters eventually rot out as water slowly beats them down. If the gutters you are looking at are solid, it should be taken as a good sign.
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.
Gutters alone are fairly useless. What you need to look for are accompanying downspouts. These move the water down the side of the home. Without them, the horizontal gutters do not really do anything.
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.