CHOOSING YOUR NEW HOME

When you are touring prospective new homes, it is critical to distinguish between a home’s “skin” and its “bones.” The “bones” are the aspects of the home that cannot be changed – location, lot size, physical configuration, environment (social & physical), schools and other fixed features.

The “skin” of the house, on the other hand, represents superficial qualities like carpet and paint color, wallpaper, landscaping and window coverings. While the skin can be readily changed, it is beneficial to your budget to keep in mind the related costs.

In evaluating your prospective new home, it is often more important to evaluate bones than skin of the house, because a propertie’s skin can be changed to suit your particular needs and tastes. Along these same lines, don’t get too taken with a house’s decor if your own furnishings are radically different. To the fullest extent possible, try to imagine the house empty and “skinless.”