New house checklist
From BluSkyPedia
When you are buying a house, here are some things you need to do. This isn't a comprehensive checklist, but it should be a useful guide in things that you don't want to overlook. I'd suggest printing this out and using this checklist to make sure you don't miss anything important.
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Foundation inspection
The foundation is one of the most important parts of your house. Make sure you have someone qualified determine if there are any cracks or damage that might require costly repairs.A don't let the current homeowner downplay any problems you find that the foundation. They may say it has been that way for years and they probably aren't lying. However they're getting ready to leave the home and you are the ones going to be stuck with it. Foundations can be extremely difficult to repair because there's a house sitting on top of it. You can't just replace a section without doing a lot of work to prop the house up and a lot of digging to remove dirt.
Plumbing inspection
In some cases, if the house has been vacant, the water may have been turned off. Make sure you get it turned on and tested before committing to purchase. Broken pipes in the walls aren't going to be found any other way. The inspector should turn on the water and then watch the meter to make sure it isn't running when everything is turned off. If the meter is spinning when everything is off you have a leak somewhere. Plumbing problems are very serious because the leak can do so much damage so quickly. If a water pipe breaks loose while you're gone during the day, it could easily ruin an entire floor. Not only do you want to make sure that the plumbing isn't leaking now, you also want to make sure that there aren't problems that are likely to happen in the near future. It may even be wise on an old house to do preventative maintenance and replace some of the pipes that don't look like they are in very good condition. A few hundred dollars replacing pipes now could save you thousands and thousands of dollars replacing furniture, walls, floors in the future.
Still, plumbing is in cheap particularly when it has to be retrofitted in an existing house. This is something you should consider in deciding how much to offer for a home. If you're going to have to tear out walls and replace plumbing, you should pay significantly less than the house then if it's all in good repair and nothing needs replaced.
Roof inspection
Knowing the condition and expected life of the current roof can make it easier to budget for normal roof replacements. Also be aware that insurance companies may choose not to insure your house if the roof is in poor condition. Traditional shingle roofs usually only last 15 to 30 years. If the attic is improperly ventilated they may not even last that long. Be aware that the color and material you use on your rough can have some of the biggest impact on your energy usage. In warm climates a light-colored roof can lower your energy usage by 20%. Metal roofs will often lower your insurance payment by 10 to 30% because they are generally resistant to hail, wind, and other things that often damaged roofs.
Electrical inspection
A qualified electrician can spot any potential problems and let you know about any "handyman specials" that might become a safety hazard at some point in the future. Faulty wiring can be a significant risk for fire. You want to know about any problems ahead of time rather than later. Many people who buy an older house find they have to replace all the electrical wiring and outlets just to make it safe to use. Depending on how the houses constructed this may be difficult or may be relatively easy. Still it's an added expense of something you should be aware of. Even more important than the plumbing is making sure you have safe wiring. If a pipe breaks loose things will get wet. If you have an electrical problem and may burn down the house or somebody could get killed.
Termite inspection
Make sure you have someone qualified come out to make sure there isn't a problem with wood eating insects that can damage the structural integrity of the house. Most countries outside of the US have started building with concrete in order to preserve would and lower the chance of termite damage. This isn't as common in the United States but it's starting to become more common. Termites are a serious problem and it doesn't take them long to do significant damage to the structure. Not only do you want to make sure there are no termites currently, but you want to make sure that there aren't going to be in the future. You may be well advised to have some type of regular termite inspection, or a termite extermination process in place to take care of them.
Past 12 months of utilities
The efficiency of a house makes a big difference. You don't want to buy a house only to discover that keeping it the right temperature costs three times as much as the mortgage payment. In some states you can simply call up the utility company and ask them for the last 12 month average. In others you'll have to get it from the homeowner themselves. Make sure you're looking at utility bills from when someone was actually living in the house. Asked them what they kept the temperature set to. What you don't want to do is see a low utility bill from when they weren't living in the house and assume that the house is efficient. Keep in mind the time of year can drastically change how much energy is required to keep the house cooler hot. The winter months we use a lot of power to keep the house warm and hot summer months will use a lot of power to keep it cool. Make sure you are looking at the Springer the fall when the temperature outside is about the same as inside him very little energy is used to maintain this balance.
Ask neighbors about problems
We bought a house and the former owner told us they had never had any problems with water in the basement. After 6 months we were having trouble believing that they didn't know about a water problem. When we mentioned it to a neighbor they said, "Oh yeah, they always had trouble keeping that basement dry." If you can talk to a few neighbors you may be able to find out about things that you'd normally have to wait until you are the owner to discover. In addition to finding problems with the house, this gives you a chance to find out who your neighbors are. A bad neighbor can take a beautiful home and turn into a nightmare so it's not a bad idea to meet people and just get a feel for their personalities.
Homeowner fees and restrictions
There is a huge range of what is acceptable from one homeowners association to another. Some won't let you leave a car in your driveway for more than a few hours. Others are fine if someone wants to park a boat in their yard for 10 years. Make sure you understand what restrictions are placed on what you and your neighbors can do. Restrictions aren't bad, but you need to know about them ahead of time.
Also make sure you understand all the fees. Some homeowner associations have had fees jump up dramatically because a few members got the association involved in an expensive lawsuit that would benefit no one except those members. Make sure you know what types of check and safeguards are in place. Also in some associations, failure to pay the fee can result in a lien against your home.
Homeowners associations can be good things. They keep your neighbors from doing things that might impact the value of your house. Many homeowners associations will prevent the neighbor from painting their house off horrible color that could decrease the value of houses in the neighborhood. But make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign. You need to see a copy of the homeowners association covenants to make sure you know exactly what you're agreeing to so there aren't any surprises.
Police report for area
There have been situations where someone decided to sell their house because of a manic depressive neighbor who would throw things, curse at everyone from their backyard and generally cause a huge disturbance. They sold the house to unsuspecting buyers who thought they were getting a good deal--until they moved in. You don't want to be blindsided by any problems like this so check the police records to see if there have been any complaints in the neighborhood. If the future next door neighbor keeps running around in the yard drunk and carrying a shotgun, you might want to find a house in a different neighborhood.
Along the same lines you might want to check for any sexual predators that are registered in the neighborhood. These online databases often cause problems because of the wide range of offenses that people must register for. Before you freak out that there is a sexual predator in the neighborhood make sure you read what actually happened and possibly go back and look at the court case. Many times what they were charged with was nothing dangerous and not something to get too worried about.