Steps in Buying A Property – Tips On Inspecting Houses
You want to avoid major surprises whenever you might be taking into consideration a new real estate purchase, thus contracting a qualified inspector for houses will alleviate much of the unwanted surprises concerning your potential real estate early on in the home buying process.
Always remember, though that you’re not necessary to execute an actual house inspection prior to the committing yourself to the initial sales deal, so it is a great idea to understand as much as possible regarding the condition of the home through an honest talk with the owner and perhaps carrying out your own ‘mini’ inspection by which you could see any basic architectural defects.
A large number of home owners would be open to having you inspect the house well before signing the preliminary sales deal, which then gives you some power when bargaining the final price. The book ‘Smart Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ (Barron) really encourages all prospective homebuyers to put together a list to take note of every issue as well as other concerns as early as possible. The authors of the book explain that, “If you are thinking about buying a house that will need renovation or upgrading, the more value will be derived from your mini-inspection.”
Consider developing a checklist for a home inspection report so that you can perform a walk-through of the property and take notes about the overall condition of the said property. Here are some of the critical areas to cover:
Ask about how old the property already is – you’ll need to find out exactly how long since the home was built, what types of renovations took place on the home property, and also if there are any engineering and architectural plans available.
Check the foundation for potential issues – be on the lookout for huge breaks as well as apparent water piping conditions around the home and in the attic. Ask about flooding issues or issues that are weather-related which have resulted in problems, big or small, on the house in different seasons.
Check out the details of the home, especially the interior, for damages and problems – you’ll want to make sure that all of the doors open and close easily and that all the rooms’ walls and partitions are even and free of cracks. Take note of cracks on walls and other signs of deterioration and make sure you also take a picture or two of anything that particularly needs repair. You’ll want to examine potential problems of odor and/or molds as well as ensure water pipes are clear and also working properly.
Examine the external details of the home for damages and other potential problems – do all the doors and windows have sufficient insulation? Do they open and close fluidly? Ensure all the doors, windows and sidings are free of chips nor any visible damages.
Evaluate heaters and air conditioning systems – inquire with regards to the average cooling and heating expenses over the last few months, and inquire how old the equipment are. In some cases, you might need to spend money on a new heating and air conditioning systems.
Besides the written examination records, you may consider having pictures as well as short video clips with a digital camera so that you can go over everything again in more detail at a later date. This extra coverage and footage may also provide you with a better position during the sales process with the seller.
Alexandria P. Anderson is a registered Minnesota Realtor who uses the MN MLS to support her clients to look for and purchase real estate in Minnesota.
February 5, 2012 | Posted by Alexandria P. Anderson
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