Features You May Not Expect on Homes in Boise
If you’ve spent any time living in homes in other states, you know that homes in each state have certain features that you may not be used to, like oil tanks back East, no lawn sprinkler systems on homes in Seattle, or storm shelters in the Midwest.
Homes in Boise also have their unique features, and after touring hundreds of homes for sale in Boise with out of state buyers, I pretty much get the same questions.
I know it is important for you to be able to prepare to make a move to Boise mentally before you buy a home in Boise physically, so in this video and blog post, I’ll tell you the answers to my most commonly asked “What is that…?” questions about homes in Boise!
Because many of the buyers I work with are leaving California, this will be mostly from a Californian’s perspective, but it applies to anyone moving here from a different state.
Let’s start with the foundation, a great place to start.
What are those vents around the house, or what is that hatch in the floor for?
Most likely, in California, your home is built on a slab foundation. Well, here in Idaho, and the Boise area, homes in Boise are most likely built on a crawlspace foundation. This means that the home has about 3 feet of space underneath it, which is enough space under the house for someone brave to crawl around it, the plumbing lines are located under there, and the heater ducts are in the crawl space. Most homes in Boise are designed this way to help reduce the chance of freezing pipes in the winter, as well as to have heater vents in the floors of homes, which helps with heating efficiency. It also does make it easier for work to be done on plumbing or HVAC.
“What is that chain hanging off the house?”
You’ll probably never think about rain gutters until you come to look at homes in Boise and see the chain hanging down from the roof. Everyone asks, “what the heck is that?” Well, it’s a rain chain- it’s just a different way to direct the rain away from the house, a chain that hangs down from the horizontal typical metal rain gutter on the roof. It used to be considered an upgrade, and the nice thing is that if it gets icy, it bends with the freezing. You are probably used to the typical metal gutters in California, which we have in homes in Boise too, but if we have a particularly cold winter, the ice can get jammed in these gutters and they can crack and break. So, the rain chains are practical for colder winters. Some people think they are just the ugliest thing when they see them…but, you’ll get used to them. (Here is an article on why to choose a rain chain)
“I can’t have my gas dryer??”
Now this isn’t exciting, but it’s very important! You may be used to having a gas dryer, especially if you are moving to Boise from California! Well in the homes in Boise, it’s almost all electric dryers, so make sure you get an electric dryer before you move in. (At the very least, MAKE SURE you double check when you buy a home to see if it is gas- gas dryers are very rare here, but I have seen them once in a while). Electricity is much less expensive here than in California, so I think that is why it is so typical to see electric dryers in homes in Boise. Most homes in Boise do have gas furnaces though, so you CAN have a plumber come and add a gas line for a gas dryer…but sometimes, they have to increase the size of the gas line coming to the house to plumb for a gas dryer, so it can be quite an expense.
“What are all these green boxes in the ground here and there around the yard?”
This is your access to your sprinklers and in some cases your irrigation water for your sprinklers. They’re in the ground to protect them from the cold weather. Some homes in Boise have water that comes from the irrigation canals, or “irrigation water” to water their yards, and other homes’ yard systems are hooked to city water. If you have irrigation water, there will be a filter on your system that needs to be cleaned periodically, and it is less expensive than the city water.
I don’t have irrigation water for my yard, we have city water, but either way, we only water from April to October in Boise homes, and by the end of October, we have our sprinkler lines blown out to keep the water from freezing in the lines. So, in California, or warmer climates, you most likely have your sprinklers above the ground, and you’ve got to water all year round.
I do love that by living in Boise, we have a season to rest from yard work, and everything is dormant.
“Doesn’t watering all this lawn cost a lot of money?”
Of course, everyone knows what a lawn is, and of course we have lawns at homes in Boise, but one thing getting more common in homes in California, and other areas facing drought or expensive water prices, is fake lawn…alternate grass…water-friendly turf…whatever you want to call it. This is great for saving water or water costs if you need, but that’s not a huge issue for us on homes in Boise, especially since our water is so much more affordable, so you won’t see much of that here.
Just a note, it seems as if the typical yard size for a home in most of the populated areas of California are about 6000 sf. Homes in Boise average around 9000 sf. People are often surprised that our yards here aren’t even bigger, I mean, it is Idaho, and we do have a ton of open space around Boise, right? That is true, but, while we generally have larger yards than many areas of California, they aren’t all one-acre estate lots. We actually do have several areas with smaller 6000 sf type lots as well. But that means less yardwork, and more time to explore all the beautiful things Idaho has to offer.
“Why aren’t there more pools in homes in Boise?”
You will see many fewer pools in homes in Boise. We only have a good swimming season from about June-August, if you’re lucky, and then everything has to be properly winterized. So, community pools are the way to go here. But many people moving to Boise from California feel strongly that they need a pool here, so the amount of people getting pools installed in homes in Boise has risen drastically. So, we will see how new pool owners feel about their pools after they’ve lived through a few years of 4 seasons here. Pools in Boise must be winterized to avoid damage to equipment. (Check out this article on how to winterize a pool) I did grow up with a pool in Sacramento, and that felt like a necessity because of the very long, very hot summers, but my kids have grown up here in Boise swimming in the river, community pools, and the lakes here, and that’s been a lot of fun.
“Is that roof a quality roof?”
This depends on where you live in California, but many areas require fireproof roofs. In homes in Boise, you’ll almost always see architectural shingle roofs. We don’t have as big of fire concerns here, and we also don’t have as many regulations.
“Where are all the solar panels?”
Another thing you won’t see as much here on the roof is solar panels. They are not required on new construction on homes in Boise like they are in California. Also, our electricity in Boise is relatively cheap. We’ve had a few solar audits done on our personal home here, and because our electricity is so cheap, it’s just not cost effective. And watch out when you move here, because solar companies will prey on the recent California transplants because they know you are used to solar and think you have to have it. You don’t, and sometimes it can be a detriment for reselling your home in Boise.
“Where are the garage vents?”
Most likely your garage in California is not insulated and has vents. In homes in Boise, our garages are usually insulated, even the garage doors are insulated, and we don’t have vents. This is also, like many of these other things, due to the colder winters. Many people moving to Boise from California want to use the garage as their work-out space, but just be warned, even though homes in Boise have insulated garages, they can get very cold in the winter. If it’s 10 degrees outside for an early morning workout, it may be 20 degrees in the garage. So invest in a big heater if you plan to work out in the garage in your new home in Boise, and be prepared to work hard to stay warm. (This only applies to January and February usually).
“Why are there so many HOAs?”
The last thing I hear that everyone is surprised about with homes in Boise is the number of neighborhoods we have here with Homeowners Associations. In our area, HOA is the norm and what you should expect. They started implementing them in the early 80s, late 70s, so if you want to avoid an HOA in Boise, you will probably have to get a home built before the 1980s or get a home on land somewhere. And not luxury land, luxury type land will have an HOA with strict CCRs (Community Rules), I mean utilitarian type land. But our HOAs are usually much less expensive than California, usually about $300-$1000 a month, the more expensive ones having more amenities. And we don’t have things like Melo Roos, so it’s overall less expensive. Also, to be quite honest, while it can be nice to live in a community where you don’t have to be governed by any community rules, remember that you will have neighbors who won’t be governed by any community rules either…so you’ll have to be tolerant if they choose to stack used old cars in their yard.
So. hopefully this helps answer some questions about homes in Boise you won’t even know you had until you come to look at homes in Boise.
Give us a call, text, or email if you want to talk about moving to Boise or selling a home in the Boise area, and we’re happy to help.
