How To Know If A House Has ‘Good Bones’

Have you ever heard the term “good bones”? It can apply to many things but when used to describe a house, it usually refers to a set of certain characteristics and features that mean you won’t be encountering any big problems with the home in the future.

It also means you’ll be able to easily remodel and tailor the home to your liking, should you choose to do so. In case you’re shopping around for a new home and you want to know what you should look for, here are some ways you can tell if a home has good bones.

1. A Healthy Foundation

This should be the first thing you look for when attempting to determine if a home has good bones or not. The foundation of a home is what everything else is built off of, and if your foundation is compromised, the home does not have good bones.

Wooden or metal studs can make for a strong foundation, as long as they are installed properly. An ICF home is guaranteed to have a strong foundation, despite its lack of home studs. A healthy foundation will not have uneven floors, slanted walls, or cracks in it.

2. Healthy Flooring

Healthy flooring is another crucial aspect of a home with good bones. Reclaimed wood flooring is usually a good sign, because it tends to be durable and resilient. You don’t want a floor that creaks, is uneven, or has warping and signs of degradation. If your flooring has any signs of water damage or molding, that is not a sign of good bones.

3. Location and Positioning

The location and positioning of a home play a big role in it having good bones or not. A home with good bones will be located away from noisy highways and airports. It’s also not likely to be built on a slope or in an area prone to flooding, mudslides, or wildfires. The positioning of the home is important as well. You want a home that is lit up by the sun in all the right places. A sunrise visible from the master bedroom, for instance, is a sign of good bones. Windows with a great view are another surefire sign that the home has good bones.

4. Natural Light

How much natural light your home receives can depend on its positioning and the location/style of the windows as well. A home with good bones will receive a lot of natural light in key areas like the kitchen and living room.

This factor can depend on how much you value natural lighting, but because most people enjoy it, it’s hard to say a home has good bones if it doesn’t get a lot of love from the sun. Remember, part of having good bones is not only what you value, but what future buyers might value when it comes time to sell.

Good Bones Make for Good Living

A home with good bones is easy to work with and a joy to live in. It causes the least amount of problems possible while remaining attractive to not only you and your family, but to future buyers as well. If you find a home with all the characteristics listed in this article, you should snatch it up quick before it falls off the market.

Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.