There's a particular kind of love that happens at an older home. The deep porch, the mature trees, the rooms already holding a century of someone else's life.
But all that character sits on a roof and exterior that may be quietly nearing the end. Look closely before you fall.
[feast_advanced_jump_to] What to Eyeball on the Outside During a Viewing Most buyers spend the viewing indoors, picturing furniture and paint colors. The outside gets a glance on the way in and another on the way out.
That's a missed chance. The exterior is where the expensive problems live, and most of them are visible if you simply slow down for ten minutes.
Start With the Roofline Stand back across the street and look at the roof as a whole. A healthy one reads as straight and even.
Sagging ridges, dipped planes, or a wavy surface usually mean something underneath is tired or holding water. Your eye catches it before any tool would.
Then Walk the Perimeter Now take a slow lap of the property, reading where the water goes and how the materials are aging. A few things are worth a closer look:
Missing, curling, or cracked shingles Dark streaks or moss spreading across the roof Gutters that sag or have plants g...