Although you may be excited by a house you are considering buying, particularly if it’s close to your vision of your ideal home, pause, take a deep breath, and focus on finding out as much about the condition of the house as you can before you buy it.
Don’t let your heart rule your head. Take the time and make the effort to look behind the scenes rather than get carried away by the appearance of the house. You might be glad you did. There are many things to consider when purchasing your first home.
Here are some ideas on how to get a better idea of the home you are buying:
(Images: 1 & 2: Cobb Architects. Photography by Holger Obenaus.)
Mold Inspection & Testing: It’s not always easy to notice as it might be in a hidden area or it might have been covered up with a fresh coat of paint or wallpaper. There are numerous reasons why you need to know if there is mold in the house, ranging from undetected water damage problem to potential legal issues, but the biggest one is health concerns. Mold can cause itchy eyes, runny nose, and sneezing for people who are sensitive to it. Mold can also sometimes be responsible for respiratory illnesses like asthma, which is why mold inspection & testing is so important.
Natural Disasters: if you are buying a home in an area that you’re not familiar with find out if the town may be at risk for natural disasters like a flood, an earthquake or a hurricane. It doesn’t matter how wonderful the house or the neighborhood might be if there is a chance of great damage or a loss of life.
Pests or Insects: According to a Motherpedia blog article here are 10 signs of pests:
Exterior Siding, Trim Paint Color and Stone: The siding is James Hardie 40-30 Timberbark and the trim color is James Hardie 20-10 Sail Cloth. The stone is from Boulder Creek and the color used is Prairie Stone. is 50% Lancer, 50% Newbury. The roof is Oakridge Shingles – Color Drift Wood.
Trim: Vertical trim around the doors and windows are 6″ and the horizontal trim is 12″.
Front door paint color is Benjamin Moore Heritage Red.
(Image: Ridge Creek Custom Homes.)
The best way to find out about the condition of the house is to ask for a pre-purchase property inspection report, which is more commonly referred to as a “building inspection.”
Check out the roofing for shingle wear and leaks, the HVAC for any risks of carbon monoxide, and the foundation for any possible water damage.
Get a good idea about the foundation of the house. If there is an unfinished basement, you can literally see if there are any cracks in the foundation. While minor cracks are normal, large cracks suggest that there is a problem with the foundation. If there is no basement or the basement has been finished, then look at the door frames. Don’t just look at one or two, walk through the whole house. If the door frames aren’t square or if the doors don’t close properly, then the house may have some structural issues. If you want to make sure, hire a structural engineer.
There are three reasons why you need a building inspection:
Exterior Paint Color: Siding is Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal. Trim Paint Color is Benjamin Moore Navajo White.
(Image: GR Home/Graciela Rutkowski Interiors.)
The best way to understand the value of a property is through a home appraisal. Your mortgage lender will also ask for this appraisal before they agree to give you a loan because your home is the asset that will be used as collateral for the loan.
It can be difficult deciding not to buy a house that you really like, but if it has serious problems, then you’ll regret your decision further down the road. So avoid being over-optimistic and skipping a detailed inspection of the house. For all you know, a deep infestation of powderpost beetles could cost you a lot of money to eliminate.
Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!
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