Good Bones: A Designer's Guide to Home Buying

When you're touring homes, it's easy to fall for the fresh paint, gleaming countertops, or the way sunlight catches that perfectly placed orchid on the kitchen island. But surface details rarely tell the architectural story. The smartest buyers know how to look past cosmetic theater to evaluate a home's bones—its structure, orientation, and true potential.

At LSD Studio, we often consult with buyers before they submit offers, helping them see not just what a house is today, but what it could become—and where the expensive surprises might be hiding. Here's our architect's guide to separating genuine good bones from window dressing.

🚨 Red Flags: When to Walk Away

Large Trees & Expansion Fantasies

Heritage oaks are treasures—until you want to expand. Always check canopy and root protection zones before planning additions.

Those majestic live oaks that make Austin properties so magical? We love them too, as long as you’re not looking to expand, at which point they become immovable obstacles. Tree protection ordinances mean no building within drip lines—often eliminating your most logical expansion zones. Similarly, "we'll just add a second story later" thinking frequently collides with structural reality. Adding floors involves foundation reinforcement, new egress requirements, and mechanical system overhauls that can cost more than buying a larger house outright.

Pro tip: Engage an architect and structural engineer before making an offer. A feasibility study now costs far less than discovering limitations after closing.

Spatial Layout Blind Spots

Walk through the house like you actually live there. Third floors accessed only by narrow stairs suggest there's no attic—meaning future electrical, plumbing, or HVAC upgrades become major surgical procedures rather than simple retrofits. Similarly, look for homes where basic programs weren't properly planned: you must walk through a bedroom to reach a bathroom, or the builder completely forgot to include a pantry in a family kitchen.

While we can sometimes help solve these issues through remodeling, our superpowers are limited to the laws of physics. Poor circulation patterns and missing essential spaces often signal deeper structural constraints that make improvements difficult or prohibitively expensive.

Natural Light Disasters

A house that's perpetually dark in living areas, or one where western sun turns your kitchen into a furnace, will always fight against comfort. Yes, you can add windows—but load-bearing walls, setback requirements, and neighboring properties often make this prohibitively complex. Solar orientation is architectural DNA; it can't be changed.

⚠️ Yellow Flags: Proceed with Architect's Eyes

The Flip Investigation

Recent renovations run the gamut from thoughtful upgrades to cosmetic cover-ups designed for listing photos. Quality reveals itself in details many buyers miss: Are paint cut lines crisp or sloppy? Does door hardware feel substantial or hollow? Do cabinet doors hang evenly with consistent gaps?

If visible finishes show poor craftsmanship, assume the systems you can't see—electrical, plumbing, HVAC—received similar treatment. A beautiful kitchen loses its appeal quickly when you discover the electrical panel can't handle more than a coffee maker and toaster running simultaneously.

Window Orientation Reality Check

We love dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows—when they're properly oriented. That stunning glass wall in your future kitchen might blind you during morning coffee if it faces east, or turn your living room into a greenhouse if it captures western afternoon sun.

We love dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows—when they're properly oriented.

Here's a historical note worth remembering: drapery was originally designed to capture and hold solar heat—functioning essentially as fabric radiators. In Texas, interior window treatments actually compound cooling problems by trapping hot air against glass. External shading solutions—awnings, pergolas, architectural overhangs—prove far more effective for climate control.

✅ Green Flags: The Bones Worth Building On

Neighborhood Fundamentals

The oldest wisdom in real estate remains true: location creates lasting value that transcends individual properties. But dig deeper than "good schools and low crime." Look for neighborhoods with architectural coherence, mature tree canopies, and infrastructure investments that suggest long-term stability.

Consider micro-location factors specific to Austin: flood plain positioning, municipal versus well water, proximity to major employers, and how transportation improvements might affect daily life. The modest home in a rising area often outperforms the showplace in a declining one.

Architectural Integrity

You recognize it immediately—that sense of intentional design, regardless of style period. High ceilings create spatial generosity. Consistent material palettes suggest thoughtful planning rather than trend-chasing. Proportional windows and doors indicate architectural literacy.

A house with strong architectural vocabulary adapts more gracefully to updates than one that never had a clear point of view.

Whether the style is mid-century modern, Victorian, or contemporary, look for homes where design decisions feel cohesive rather than haphazard. A house with strong architectural vocabulary adapts more gracefully to updates than one that never had a clear point of view.

Hidden Potential Goldmines

The most valuable homes contain spaces waiting for activation. That unfinished bonus room over the garage? Future home office, guest suite, or creative studio. The oversized utility room? Perfect expansion into mudroom, craft room, or pet grooming station.

We especially love closets under stairs (ideal for wine storage, reading nooks, or office spaces), oversized garages (workshops, studios, climate-controlled storage), and homes with pier-and-beam foundations that offer basement-like potential for mechanical rooms or workshops.

Bonus green flag: Mature landscaping represents years of investment and environmental benefit that takes decades to recreate. Privacy hedges, shade trees, and established gardens provide immediate curb appeal and ongoing value.

The Home Buyer's Checklist

🚨 Red Flags

• Heritage oaks or large trees blocking logical expansion areas

• Missing essential storage (pantry, closets, utility spaces)

• No attic or crawlspace access for future systems

• Poor circulation (walking through bedrooms to reach bathrooms)

• Dark main living areas with no easy window solutions

• Structural constraints that limit basic improvements

⚠️ Yellow Flags

• Recent flip with questionable workmanship (sloppy paint, hollow hardware)

• Large windows with problematic orientation (east/west exposure)

• HVAC systems that appear retrofitted rather than integrated

• Maxed-out electrical panels with no room for upgrades

• Missing external shading options for heat control

✅ Green Flags

• Strong neighborhood trajectory with architectural coherence

• Consistent design vocabulary throughout the home

• High ceilings and proportional windows/doors

• Quality original materials (hardwood, plaster, built-ins)

• Unfinished spaces ready for customization (bonus rooms, oversized garages)

• Mature landscaping and established outdoor spaces

• Flood-safe positioning and municipal utilities

• Cross-ventilation potential and good natural light

Questions to Ask:

• Can I expand where I'd logically want to?

• What are the setback requirements and tree protections?

• How old are the major systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing)?

• What external shading strategies are possible?

• Are there any structural walls limiting future flexibility?

The Architect's Bottom Line

Surface upgrades can always be redone—paint colors, light fixtures, even kitchen finishes change with trends and budgets. What matters most are the elements you cannot easily alter: orientation, structural logic, neighborhood context, and spatial relationships.

The smartest home buyers think like architects: they see past staging to evaluate bones, consider future flexibility alongside current function, and understand that location and structure create lasting value while finishes provide temporary satisfaction.

Considering a property purchase? We offer pre-purchase architectural consultations to help evaluate opportunities and challenges before you commit. Because sometimes the most important member of your house-hunting team isn't your realtor—it's your architect.

Just found your dream home? Checkout Welcome Home: 10 Ways to Claim Your Space