Hubby and I have a big weekend ahead of us… we are going to be seeing several homes with our real estate agent. This is our first home purchase and our first day out to see the homes in person. We’ll be looking at single-family homes (1905-1970) with basements and garages in the Illinois area that have been mostly renovated already.
I want to make the most of each home visit and make sure we don’t overlook anything that is important. Of course, we already know what we want in regard to floorplan, ammenities, etc., but I need to know what are some other things that potential homebuyers could overlook if they get too caught up in a home’s superficial features?
I’d like to hear from former home buyers who now look back and wish they’d thought of this or that, as well as, experienced real esate professionals. If anyone has an online “checklist” of some sort, a link for that would be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer!
DORSEY
Comments
nice kitchen…one that doesnt have to be remodled. a nice garage. a backyard for the kids
neighbors…go introduce yourself to the neighbors so you can geta feel of who you will be living next to…say “i will be your new neighbors…do you have a band that plays all night? Kids that play rap?
1. condition and last inspection/service of air conditioner/furnace
2. any cracks in the foundation or walls (inside our outside)
3. if the basement is dry
4. how much are the taxes and insurance
5. ask for current power/water/gas bills to see if the home is energy efficient - high bills could mean a poor furnace/ac or a water leak
6. check the windows to see what condition they are in- whether they leak air or are painted shut
7. how long ago was the roof repaired/replaced
8. inspect condition of gutters - are they full of junk or well maintained
9. inspect footings for deck for rot or settling
10. see if doors fit properly
My husband and I bought our first house 8 years ago and it was 100 years old, we learned a lot from that home. We didn’t request utilities history and oh my gosh our first $300 gas bill about sent us over the edge! We’ve continued to buy and sell a home every year since.
Just be careful and try not to fall in love with a complete “fixer uppper” because unless you are going to live there forever you will never get your money back.
Good luck!
Here is a link to some checklists:
Honestly, it’s not the best time to do a full property inspection on your first visit. It will take forever to view homes, if you go through each one with a fine tooth comb.
Some advice, if you find a home that you absolutely fall in love with, don’t be afraid to make an offer. You have a time frame, once in contract, to do all home inspections thoroughly. It will also give you time to hire a professional inspectors, if your budget allows. A home inspector, whose fee is about $300, will give you a detailed report of their findings. If the home has a fireplace, you should also hire a separate inspector that specializes in fireplace/chiminey inspections. During this period, usually the pest and roof inspections are performed also and the reports should be given to you and your husband in a timely manner for review.
If during your time frame,(in CA its a 17 day inspection period), you find something that you don’t like or are uncomfortable about…you can back out of the contract. But if the items you find wrong are minor and you still want the house, then you can ask the seller to repair those items. If the seller agrees to any repairs, you will get to inspect and approve them at your final walk through before escrow closes. If anything is not completed or questionable, let your realtor know ASAP. The escrow cannot close until you have approved and signed off on the final walk through inspection.
Your realtor should be able to advise on all your rights and important dates you need to be aware of. Most importantly, read your contract and become familiar with it and if you have any questions, ask your realtor. And make sure to get everything in writing…ex. items requested for repair, items approved for repairs, who paying for repairs and inspections, etc.
Good luck on your home searching.
Wow isn’t it fun to buy a home. I am a realtor in Arizona and I have some great advice of things to look for. Only do these things on homes that you are very interested in. The first thing you should do when you pull up to a home that your pretty sure you interested in is, listen. What I mean is get out of the car, take a second and listen to what you hear. Walk up the property line on both sides and listen for dogs barking. Did they bark right when you pulled up or did they wait until you walked up to the fence. I love dogs but the ones that bark all the time at every little thing drives me nuts. Are there any construction sites nearby that have heavy equipment and things going. Any major streets with traffic to worry and hear all night, etc.
Next when your in the yard listening, look around. Would you have any junky neighbors. Any garage mechanics to worry about and see all day. I don’t want to live next to someone yanking engines out of cars. Notice we have not even walked into the house yet.
Assuming all that goes Ok walk in. On older homes right when you walk in stand right at the entrance and press your foot hard. Are there any soft spots, backdoor also by the way. Those are the highest traffic areas that have been used since the house was built. In front of every bathroom do the same thing. If the toilet or tub overflowed it might be soft.
In the bathrooms look to see if any repairs have been made. One thing to notice is if the tiles around the handles are a different color than the rest of the shower/bathtub, then they have had plumbing problems and had some repairs done. If you have hard water there then look in the toilet for hard water deposits. If you see them, then that means your toilet will back up easier than normal. Look under the sinks, kitchen also, at the pipes are there any rust stains or stains on the bottom of the cabinets, that means leaks. Also look at the pipes are they old looking or new and shiney, like they have been replaced. Whatever the pipes look like remember that your entire home might be plumbed with the same pipes.
Next look at electrical outlets and switchs. Are they old and worn out looking. Try to find any exposed wires to see what shape the entire electrical system in the home is like. The best place to look at outlets are behind the couch or chairs. Most of the time the other ones have been changed and look wonderful, but the ones behind the couch are usually overlooked. Next don’t forget the breaker box. Make sure it is up to date and up to code. If it looks like a bowl of spagetti plan on 3000 to get it changed out and wired correctly.
While you are walking around the home LOOK UP. Do you see any fresh painted areas on the ceilings, or patch work that has been done. Beware that means leaks have had to occured sometime over the life of the home. Fresh paint on walls and things are usually done to stage the home for selling. But the ceilings are tuff to do and usually left alone.
Oh I forgot when you come up to the home look at the roof as well as listening for noises. If some shingles are curling on the corners of the shingle that will need to be addressed as well. Look where the trees are closest to the home. The roof might of been worn and the limbs cut back.
Look at the furnace and or A/C unit. If they are old and worn out looking that how they will run. Water heater as well. You want effeciant products there so your bills won’t be to high. Whoops windows as well, single double or triple pane will come into effect for utilities as well.
Last but not least before you put in an offer get online and look up police reports for the neighborhood. Also go to the county and check for *** offenders in the area.
Check with your insurance company and give them the address. They will tell you how many claims have been made on the home. They insure the home not the person so if allot of claims have been made your insurance will be higher than normal.
I hope I have helped out and given you things to look for. Remember to use all your senses when you are looking at homes, just don’t go by emotions. Good Luck and have fun there are allot of homes on the market so don’t get stuck on the first one you look at.
Enjoy the experience. Let your agent look for the problems and then there is the building inspector. He/she gets paid for finding the REAL problems for you.
ALWAYS have a contingency for building inspection. I won’t represent anyone unless they do. I make sure at my initial interview.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting.
Pat j has a great answer and don’t forget to bring a camera. They all blend together after a few hours.
I try not to show more than 3 at a time. If we have to do more I show three, break for lunch (without me present) 1 1/2 hr min and then do 3 more.
