If you are seriously considering a house to purchase take time to really look into it before making an offer or hiring a home inspector. Many buyers don’t take the time necessary to look into a home’s they are seriously considering spending many years in. A quick twenty minute once over is not going to suffice when really considering a home.
Make a checklist when working with a realtor. A home without any potential can instantly be pulled from the list. Homes that deserve consideration should be gone through using the check list below. This list alone can save home buyers a ton of time and money. This will help to ensure you aren’t paying for professional home inspections on homes that aren’t truly worth your time or money.
Checklist for New Home Buyers
Inspect the home for dampness: Dampness can occur in a home for many reasons. Some are easier to locate and fix than others. A damp, moldy smell or flaking plaster may be coming from a small, easily repaired leak in the attic however it could also be coming from the place of a deeper more expensive issue. It is best to find the reason the home is damp and evaluate it for yourself before putting an odder in on a home that exhibits any signs of moisture.
Examine the homes structural soundness: Look for cracks in the structure. These may be small hairline cracks or larger fissures. Check areas of stress such as window bays, extension joints and areas of the home where the structure can fall or bow away from the homes structure. If you see serious issues understand that these repairs are costly and bringing in structural inspectors will cost you major money upfront for evaluation purposes only. It may not be worth falling in love with a home that exhibits structural issues.
Check out storage space: Storage is a make or break deal for many homeowners. Small issues such as where the trash will live or the vacuum cleaner will be stored are minor issues. However, don’t overlook the need to store gardening supplies, holiday decorations, bikes, boats and more. Check to see if cupboards or shelves can be installed to increase the amount of convenient and available storage space within the home.
Look into size of individual rooms: Measure each room to determine the exact size of the space. Staging can be pretty tricky. Designers take smaller scaled furniture and bring it in to enhance the spaciousness of smaller rooms. Be aware of this practice and don’t fall victim to it. Measure the space and visually layout the size of your furniture or appliances in the room. This will give you a more accurate way of determining if the space will fit your current belongings.
In our next installment on things buyers should overlook when buying a home we will examine further tricks involved in staging and how to spot issues when homes have had fresh flooring and paint updates.
Lady of the Lakes Real Estate is Livingston County’s premiere realtor; out of Pinckney, Michigan helping buyers buy and sellers sell homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Brighton, Howell, Pinckney and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://www.ladyofthelakes.com.