When you buy a home, you’re choosing more than a floor plan and a neighborhood. You’re making a major investment, and you want to understand what could affect it over the years.
Climate change is affecting where people buy homes. That makes environmental risks worth considering wherever you plan to move. The practical questions are straightforward: What hazards could the property face? How well is the home built to handle them? And what will it take to insure it?
You do not have to sort through those questions alone. A local real estate agent can help you understand the area, evaluate the home and decide what deserves a closer look before you move forward.
Why Climate Risk Belongs on Your Checklist
The National Association of Realtors, or NAR, has reported that 63% of movers in the research it cited believed climate change was, or would become, an issue where they lived. Research from Realtor.com also helps illustrate the growing impact of climate change on real estate.
The takeaway is not that you should stop looking for a home. It is that climate risk belongs in the conversation alongside the property’s condition, your budget and your plans for living there.
Rather than asking whether a home is completely safe from the elements, focus on understanding its exposure and the available ways to protect it. Start with the location, then look at the home itself and the insurance you will need.
Start With Local Hazards
A local real estate agent is a useful starting point for understanding hazards such as wind, floods and wildfires. An agent who knows the area can explain the risks you are most likely to encounter and help you consider how those risks relate to a property.
Make this part of your search, not an afterthought once you have found a house you love. Ask direct questions and keep the conversation focused on the homes you are considering.
- Which environmental hazards should I think about in this area?
- How might those hazards affect the home I am considering?
- What protective features should we look for?
- What questions should I resolve before deciding whether this home fits my plans?
The goal is to understand the property beyond its appearance. A home may check your boxes for space and location, but you still want to know how environmental concerns fit into the decision.
Look for a Home Built to Last
If you expect to stay in your home for many years, you want confidence in its ability to hold up. Work with your agent to evaluate how the home is built and how it may withstand the environmental hazards common to the area.
Real estate agents stay familiar with building and remodeling techniques used to help protect homes from the effects of climate change. The original examples are practical ones: a secondary water barrier on the roof and noncombustible, fire-resistant exterior walls.
Use those examples to start a conversation about the property, rather than treating them as a complete checklist for every home.
Ask About Existing Protection
Have your agent help you identify the protective features the home already has. Ask how those features relate to the hazards you have discussed and what else you should consider.
Keep your long-term plans in view. If this is a home you intend to own for years, think beyond whether it meets your needs on move-in day. Consider what work you may want to address during your ownership.
Discuss Missing Features Before Moving Forward
A home may not have every protective feature you want. Your agent can help you consider what you might negotiate in the contract and what work the property could require later.
Separate those questions clearly. What would you like addressed as part of the purchase? What would you be willing to take on in the future? Use those answers to decide whether the home still fits your plans.
Make Insurance Part of the Buying Decision
Once you have looked at the home’s construction and protective features, find out what it will take to insure it. A well-built home is only one part of the picture. Insurance availability and price deserve attention, too.
Selma Hepp, identified in the original article as CoreLogic’s chief economist, explained the concern this way:
“Homeowners are going to become increasingly more aware of risks of living in some areas as it becomes prohibitively expensive or very difficult to obtain hazard insurance.”
In areas where climate risks have a greater impact, the right home insurance can make a significant difference. Its price is also part of the true cost of buying and protecting your home.
Do not leave that expense out of your budget conversation. Ask yourself whether the home still feels like a practical choice once you include the insurance needed to protect it.
Request Quotes Early
Get an insurance quote early in the buying process. You may want to compare multiple quotes, and obtaining them can take several weeks.
Give yourself room to gather that information rather than leaving insurance until the end. Review the quotes with your budget in mind, and ask questions about anything you do not understand before making your decision.
Bring the Pieces Together
Your agent can be your go-to resource for the homebuying process, including what to look for, what to consider and how climate change may affect your next home.
Keep three priorities in front of you: the hazards associated with the location, the home’s ability to withstand those hazards and the insurance needed to protect it. Consider them together, not as separate decisions.
Homeownership is worth pursuing thoughtfully. Planning and an agent’s guidance can help you evaluate whether a property is the right fit without overlooking concerns that matter to your long-term investment.
Your next step: Ask a local real estate agent about environmental hazards in the neighborhoods you are considering, and request insurance quotes early. For help talking through your homebuying budget and mortgage questions, reach out to Ed Parcaut, NMLS 235384.
