I sold a Southfield home, or should I say I helped my client buy a house with no grass. The whole yard was covered in snow for the past 2 months. We saw the house a couple of times. But I never thought of digging through the snow to check if there was grass.
But my client closed last week on the house and this week the snow has been melting. He was noticing there was pea gravel in spots where the snow melted. So he started digging in a few more spots. The whole backyard was pea gravel!!!
Who would have thought. Here in Michigan I tell my clients to pull off some of the snow to look at the roof. But I would have never thought that a whole back yard would be full of pea gravel instead of grass. This is one story for my book on real estate stories.
But my advice to anybody buying in Michigan, when there is snow on the roof is too pull a few spots off. Make sure the roof is good. A new roof on a average size house could cost up to $9000. It's always better to look at a house when it isn't snow covered. But it is extremely important for you or your home inspector to check out the condition of the roof when there is snow on it.
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My Month of December quote:
~ Mark Twain”
Russ Ravary
"helping make your move easier"
your local Metro Detroit Realtor helping clients like you sell and buy homes through out the entire Metro Detroit suburbs. I love showing and selling Oakland County and Livingston County Lake front homes too.
Russ, pretty funny, hope you do not have to buy your clients some grass and dirth:))
Wow -- that is a strange one -- maybe they want to go for a desert landscape look.
Never thought to look for grass before, but I will now. A few weeks ago, I DID think to check the driveway of a snow-covered, vacant home I was showing. In Winter, I always carry a small shovel in my trunk. Upon leaving the home with my client, something told me to take a closer look at the drive. I shoveled several feet and discovered crumbling asphalt instead of the concrete I was expecting to see. Replacing that driveway could have easily cost $10,000. The deficiency was noted and the prospective Buyer moved-on to other offerings.
I will remember this story the next time I am in the market to buy. Who would even think to check the grass in the winter....wow