4 Things to Look Out for When Buying a House
First-time homeowners have a lot of things to think about. Buying a house is a lifetime commitment. When you buy one, take backs will be a challenge both financially and emotionally. With that in mind, house hunting can be daunting and a bit stressful.
But there are smart ways you can make sure that you’re getting more bang for your buck when shopping for your home. Questions like “Is it the right time to buy?” “Can I afford it?” or “What’s the best way to go about buying one?”
The details can get overwhelming. But much like when buying a car or any other property, you have to go and see for yourself. You have to look at what state the property is in before you make the decision to buy. Dive in and find out the things you need to look out for when purchasing a home.
Start with Things within Your Reach, like Doors and Cabinets
Don’t get caught up too much on the aesthetics. Things that may look boring or not suitable to your taste can be fixed later. Focus on what you can actually touch and feel, like cabinets and doors. You need to make an assessment of their current condition so you can come up with a sufficient budget for improvements later on.
Always be on the lookout for inaccessible rooms or parts of the house that your seller doesn’t want you to see. In case there are broken locks during the inspection, it’s better to come prepared and take with you a handy lockpick set. Switches and lightings should be checked as well for electrical problems.
Step on Floors, and Check for Bounciness
It’s not as easy to determine uneven floors. At times, you won’t even notice it until you start living on the premises and moving your furniture. The simplest way to determine floor alignment is by rolling down a marble or any other handy circular object.
For houses that have been built more than three or five decades ago, their floors have the tendency to settle down on the sides, creating a bump on the middle part. Make sure you check each room, especially the center part, for any imbalance.
Check the Freshly Painted Parts
When homeowners put their property on the market, they always make sure to put their best foot forward along with it. Beautification is vital when you’re looking to sell.
Since you’ll be on the opposite end of the spectrum, always keep an eye out for freshly painted rooms or exteriors. Paints have a way of making things look new. More often than not, it’s the tool most realtors or sellers use to conceal an ugly part.
Watch out for water leaks or damages that are hidden by fresh paint. Its new smell can often conceal the moldy aroma. Look for sheetrock or plasters recently installed for the purpose of better viewing.
Molds are a health hazard, so you need to be sure that there aren’t any in the house. You can check that out using a mold testing kit. If there are, you need to be made aware of them and have them taken care of before you move in.
Be Wary of Air Fresheners and Background Music
Much like paint, there are other ways to conceal disagreeable elements outside the house. Air fresheners can block out the smell coming from the neighborhood or nearby sewers. Same goes for music. There may be an airport near the area or a factory generating noise within your earshot.
Try to persuade the homeowner or agent to turn down the volume for you to listen in to the natural sounds vibrating in the area. As for the smell, ask your dealer if there are any air pollutants you should know about.
If he or she gives you an honest answer, then you’ll know you can trust that person. Or better yet, ask for another house-visit appointment, but this time without the homeowner or seller showing you around. This way, you’ll have a better idea of what state the house is really in and know if it’s really worth buying.
