Home Inspection Basics As A First Time Homebuyer
Contracting a professional home inspector before buying a home is a good way to ensure that you will not encounter any major problems after you've signed a contract and bought a house.
Then again, official home inspections are only required after an initial contract is signed. It would be better for you to gather your own information about the house you are eyeing. You can go straight to the seller and ask him or her everything about the house. You can also ask for permission to conduct your own mini-inspection.
Sellers typically allow prospective buyers to inspect their home before anyone enters into any agreement. Barron's 'Smart Consumer's Guide to Home Buying' advises homebuyers to use a checklist in taking note of any problems and issues in the earliest time possible. The book further explains, "If you are thinking about buying a house that will need renovation or upgrading, the more value will be derived from your mini-inspection." The mini-inspection will ultimately give you a bargaining leverage when negotiating for the price of the home you are buying.
You need a checklist in inspecting the house to ensure that you cover all important aspects that you need to look at. The information you gather from this checklist can then be used to create a written report to help you in assessing the overall condition of the house. Here are some important matters to include in your checklist:
Learn about the age of the home - you'll want to find out exactly when the home was built, what types of renovations or new construction took place on the home site, and if there are any architect or engineering plans available.
Inspect the house's foundation - Check if there large cracks around the home and basement. You should also check for water or weather related damages. Ask the seller if the house ever experienced or experiences weather related problems in various seasons.
Inspect the house's interior for flaws - Walls should be even and free of cracks. Check if you can manipulate the doors with ease. All water entry areas should function properly and keep an eye out for mold and mildew infestations. Take a note of noticeable cracks and corrosions. You might also want to take a snapshot of problems that really stand out.
Inspect the exterior of the house - Check if all windows and doors move smoothly and if these are properly insulated. Inspect the sidings of the house. Look for signs of deterioration.
Inspect the house's heating and air conditioning systems - You want to know the average electricity cost per month when operating these appliances. Ask about the age of these appliances as well. Old heating and air conditioning systems are usually inefficient and you may need to replace them.
In addition to the written inspection report, you may consider taking pictures or short video clips using a digital camera/camcorder so you can review everything again in more detail at a later date. This extra footage or coverage may also give you an upper hand during the negotiation process with the seller. - 23212
Then again, official home inspections are only required after an initial contract is signed. It would be better for you to gather your own information about the house you are eyeing. You can go straight to the seller and ask him or her everything about the house. You can also ask for permission to conduct your own mini-inspection.
Sellers typically allow prospective buyers to inspect their home before anyone enters into any agreement. Barron's 'Smart Consumer's Guide to Home Buying' advises homebuyers to use a checklist in taking note of any problems and issues in the earliest time possible. The book further explains, "If you are thinking about buying a house that will need renovation or upgrading, the more value will be derived from your mini-inspection." The mini-inspection will ultimately give you a bargaining leverage when negotiating for the price of the home you are buying.
You need a checklist in inspecting the house to ensure that you cover all important aspects that you need to look at. The information you gather from this checklist can then be used to create a written report to help you in assessing the overall condition of the house. Here are some important matters to include in your checklist:
Learn about the age of the home - you'll want to find out exactly when the home was built, what types of renovations or new construction took place on the home site, and if there are any architect or engineering plans available.
Inspect the house's foundation - Check if there large cracks around the home and basement. You should also check for water or weather related damages. Ask the seller if the house ever experienced or experiences weather related problems in various seasons.
Inspect the house's interior for flaws - Walls should be even and free of cracks. Check if you can manipulate the doors with ease. All water entry areas should function properly and keep an eye out for mold and mildew infestations. Take a note of noticeable cracks and corrosions. You might also want to take a snapshot of problems that really stand out.
Inspect the exterior of the house - Check if all windows and doors move smoothly and if these are properly insulated. Inspect the sidings of the house. Look for signs of deterioration.
Inspect the house's heating and air conditioning systems - You want to know the average electricity cost per month when operating these appliances. Ask about the age of these appliances as well. Old heating and air conditioning systems are usually inefficient and you may need to replace them.
In addition to the written inspection report, you may consider taking pictures or short video clips using a digital camera/camcorder so you can review everything again in more detail at a later date. This extra footage or coverage may also give you an upper hand during the negotiation process with the seller. - 23212
About the Author:
Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase Plymouth MN Real Estate as well as Property for Sale in Plymouth, Minnesota.
posted by X - Men @ 1:27 AM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home