Q: I have a house-hunting question for you. What do you look for? What do you look past? Help! My main complaint about the older homes we can afford is that they all feel dated, but that seems to be what you two look for. How do you know which dated houses are worth buying and which ones are lost causes? I keep worrying we’ll end up in a money pit! – Aviva (not the one from Housewives of NY).
A: First, glad you clarified you’re not the NYC Aviva. We get this question a lot, so here’s our straightforward approach. When touring older homes, don’t let surface cosmetics scare you off. Many aesthetic issues are inexpensive and straightforward to fix if you’re willing to do some work. Items we routinely look past include:
- bad paint on walls or trim
- outdated wallpaper or borders
- furniture that isn’t your style
- unattractive curtains or window treatments
- dark brick or wood paneling
- light fixtures you’d replace anyway
- colored fixtures like green, blue, or pink toilets
Below are some before photos from our first house that show how off-putting those dated features can be—but also how easily they can be transformed with a plan and a little elbow grease. These images illustrate common cosmetic issues that shouldn’t be dealbreakers for people willing to renovate.
While cosmetics are easy to change, we pay close attention to features that are costly or difficult to alter. Those are the factors that truly affect whether a house is a smart buy. The main things we focus on are:
- neighborhood and location — you can’t move a house
- overall layout and floor plan — major room relocation is expensive
- room sizes and number of bathrooms — hard to add or enlarge without big expense
- ceiling height and window placement — light and scale matter and are not simple to change
- unique architectural details like fireplaces or exposed beams — these add long-term value
- lot characteristics and terrain — steep setbacks or drainage issues can be costly to fix
In our first house, many of the dated elements hid great underlying features. The den, for example, had dark brick and wood paneling but also a centered fireplace and attractive ceiling beams—both features worth preserving. After painting the brick and beams, the whole room felt renewed and cozy rather than stuck in the past.
The lot itself was another major selling point: nearly an acre with a level, wooded backyard. Large or well-situated lots are advantages you can’t add later. Even though the landscaping was overgrown and required work, the yard’s size, privacy, and flat grade made it easy to reimagine into something low-maintenance and welcoming.
We’re not professional house hunters, but our rule of thumb is simple: ignore things you can easily change and focus on what you can’t. Paint, cabinets, wallpaper, curtains, and fixtures are cosmetic and typically affordable to update. Layout, window placement, bedroom sizes, and the lot are structural and location-based factors that should guide your decision.
If you struggle to see past dated finishes, collect inspiration images that reflect the look you want. Save photos in a binder or on Pinterest and compare room shapes and proportions. If a magazine image has the same scale as a room you’re considering, it’s a good sign you can create that look with paint, new window treatments, and furniture.
One final tip to avoid a costly surprise: get a thorough home inspection. Inspectors can’t catch everything, but a detailed inspection by a reputable professional who spends time in the attic, crawlspace, and on the roof will significantly reduce the chance of buying a property with hidden structural or mechanical problems. In our experience, investing in a comprehensive inspection has helped us avoid major pitfalls.
What about you? When house hunting, do you make must-have, nice-to-have, and must-not-have lists? Having clear priorities prevents a small desirable feature from clouding judgment about important, hard-to-change needs.