Why This MidMo Bungalow Is The Perfect Starter Home
Since late March, the LA home buying market has been in a near-frozen state. Buyer’s not knowing what the future may bring halted their home-hunting efforts and many home sellers followed suit.
We saw a major drop in listings and transactions as many current listings went into a “hold” status (in an effort to pause the Days on Market counter) and those listings that would have been posted in Spring held off.
In late June, it all changed. As restrictions eased and the new normal began mass acceptance, buyers and sellers woke from their slumber all at once.
With a clear strategy on controlled showings, we saw a flurry of activity. I guess being trapped in your home gives you ample time to reflect on what you like and what you really really don’t like about the space you are going to be spending a lot of time in.
Post-COVID Home Buying Tips
Locations outside the city but not too far
Layout, open concept with places to tuck away to.
What you should know about mechanical systems.
What flippers don’t want you to know.
In the El Sereno enclave of University Hills, a home I had been helping to prep for an April listing sat in wait until this week. For months we had worked on those little fixes every house needs and a complete re-paint in prep for sale.
The results are seen in the images below and display the perfect starter home. Homebuyers are drawn in by pictures and furnishings but in reality that has little to do with the home that you are going to own. What really is important is the following:
Does The Home Work for Me?
Location is key to our commutes (when those return), our access to entertainment, school districts and believe it or not, to a lesser extent our social circles. That home should have easy access to the places you shop and will dine again one day.
University Hills is four miles to the east of Downtown Los Angeles, five miles to the west of Alhambra, five miles south of South Pasadena, and mere minutes to the 10 freeway. Talk About centrally located.
Layout is more valuable than ever before. Are there places for the residents to gather and also have their own space? You need extra bedrooms for home offices, den’s to escape to and a yard for some of that much needed Vitamin D. While the desire of “open concept” will continue, home buyers, are back to appreciating rooms that have doors.
This El Sereno home has three bedrooms and a den, a tiered private backyard, and multiple ways to make space work for your needs. Flexibility in your space is going to be key.
How is the Home Mechanically?
80% of the buildings in Los Angeles are more than 50. years old with a bulk of those being built prior to 1950. These were the boom years in LA when many neighborhoods went from rural houses on farmland to full-blown housing tracts. The challenge with homes that are 70 years old, or greater, are the systems you don’t normally think about. Plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, and roofs all have a shelf life and if they are not updated, they will need to be, and those projects are not cheap.
Plumbing
This MidCentury Modern has had the plumbing updated to copper. Built in 1954, the original plumbing would have been galvanized plumbing. The most common challenge with older galvanized plumbing is a loss of water pressure as the inner diameter of the pipe begins to corrode and get smaller. You want a home with updated plumping either to copper like this one or the newer PEX type.
Electrical
Homes prior to 1940 would have had knob and tube wiring, something you most definitely want to upgrade, but in the early 50’s the wiring would have most likely been armored cable (or BX). BX is not necessarily bad. The bigger challenge of home with older electrical systems is the electrical panel capacity itself. in 1954 it would have been 80-100 amps of capacity. In that time, this was plenty of power for the minimal amount of electric lights, a radio, maybe a TV and a refrigerator, but Air Conditioning would not have been common in 1954 and that AC you love needs more than 100amps of power to keep running.
The University Hills MidMo has been updated to 200amps and a new central Heating, Venticaling and Air Conditioning system installed a couple of years back. Updating wiring and electrical panels can be very costly and not something you want to learn after you have purchased the home.
Roof
Homeowners don’t think about their roofs until there is a leak and that always happens at the worst time possible. Roofs are built in layers. You start with the rafters wich hold up the sheathing which is the base for roofing shingles. Asphalt shingles are the most common (and most affordable). Those shingles have a life span of 10-25 years depending on the quality of the shingle used. When shingles near replacement age, homeowners can apply a second layer of shingles over the older ones. This is done as a cost-saving measure vs removing and disposing of the old shingles. This is a band-aid approach that can cause the new layer to wear faster and create undue stress on the rafters (I.e. not recommended).
Finding a home that has a single layer roof and has had the sheathing updated recently is a major bonus. Homeowners, like those that are selling this University Hills MidMo were thinking long term and made those right choices.
Additions
Square Footage is key in determining the value of a home. The more interior space there is, the more the home is worth. You may not have thought about it before, but quarantine has you wanting more space. Needing more space has been the case for homeowners for generations and the usual solution is to build on to a house by constructing an addition.
Building an addition is usually done one of two ways: with permits and without permits. Without permits, you can build it faster and cheaper. But because there are no inspections involved, corners are often cut and while that space may look and function property when first constructed, many problems can arise. Windows and doors will start to be tougher to close, roof leaks at junctures appear, major cracks in drywall or worse.
If that isn’t scary enough, unpermitted additions to square footage can not legally be counted in the sale (or value) of a property and a city can demand the current owner to demolish unpermitted additions. Unpermitted space is always a risky venture. Do your research before taking it on.
If you are going to buy a home that has an addition, you want an addition that was done with permits, just like this University Hills MidMo has done.
Updating Surfaces
If you think about how you engage with a home, it really is all about the surfaces. The hardwood floor you walk on, the paint on the walls you see, the kitchen cabinets you open every day, the stove that cooks your food. These are the most personal part of a home and often the primary thing homebuyers consider when buying.
I urge you to think differently. Those surfaces are the easiest things to change, the simplest to make your own. Buying a home that has been completely updated surfaces can work for many, but it is not the most economical (flippers make their profits in those surfaces) and not a true reflection of your individuality.
Finding a home that has all the mechanicals done but needs some surfaces updated (like the kitchen cabinets in this MidMo) is the perfect storm. The tough stuff is done and you can over time, invest to make it your own.
Home buying in Los Angeles is not an easy process. Armed with knowledge (and an agent that cares and knows) is my best advice.
NEW LISTING
1973 Barnett Way Los Angeles 90032
Year Built: 1954
Three Bedrooms + Den / Two Baths
Square Footage: 1,509
Lot Size: 4,800
List Price: $720,000
To schedule a private showing for this home or other MidCentury Modern homes, contact:
Michael Robleto
REALTOR®-Compass Real Estate
213-595-4720
Michael Robleto is a Los Angeles based REALTOR® that specializes in Historic Pre-War residential properties and those with architectural merit. Home buying and home selling is extremely challenging in Los Angeles County. Michael uses his vast knowledge of historic homes, residential construction and modern day marketing and digital technology to predict and solve the many problems that arise in real estate transactions. His client accolades of insight, integrity and hard work support the fact that he is not your average agent.
Michael leverages his personal passion for historic architecture to provide his clients the unknown insight on the pros and cons of older homes. Michael, the son of a contractor, a California native, grew up in an older Bungalow home and has spent 23 years in Southern California admiring the unique architecture of the region. He often writes on homeownership strategy, historic residential architecture and related topics which can be found on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram under the common profile name of his blog; BungalowAgent or at www.BunaglowAgent.com/blog.
Michael is a committee member and frequent volunteer for the preservation efforts of Pasadena Heritage, the LA Conservancy as well as a supporter of the Five Acres center for children.