The other day I actually walked into a local branch of my bank (I mentioned that in a prior post – I hardly ever do that!). They had a PNC Bank Homebuyer’s Guide that intrigued me. I’m sure it was there to get you to become interested in one of their loans. Anyway, I thumbed through it and there was some interesting things. Today’s post is based on what they said (plus some personal observations) to look for as you do a walk through of a property you might purchase:
- turn on lights, ceiling fans. Do they work?
- flush toilets, turn on faucets
- Run appliances (stoves, dishwashers, garbage disposals, etc.
- Run the furnance, central air
- Open and close doors (including garage doors)
- Open and close windows
- move things (people try to hide carpet stains, cracks with furniture, etc.)
- check ceilings, walls for cracks
- look for mildew, dampness (especially in basement)
- look in the attic or crawl space
- ask when things have been replaced last (water heater, furnace, roof)
- look around the yard – animal damage (ants, mice, moles, gophers, etc.)
It is amazing to me that people do not check things out. We don’t think twice about test driving a car before we buy it. Think of walking through a house as a test drive. Try everything you can. Ask every question you can. If you use a realtor, press them on details. If you can afford it (or you have a friend who is a contractor), have a contractor walk through the house with you – his/her unemotional eyes can catch a lot of things you might miss (floors aren’t level, etc.). If you know a house inspector, ask them for what they look for when they do house inspections – see if you can get a copy of their inspection checklist for your reference.
Use all your senses – check for smells, listen for sounds (like the train that comes through at midnight!). Even though homes are a “bargain” right now, it is no bargain if you buy the wrong house, or pay the wrong amount for the right house. Be diligent. As always, leave your tips and suggestions in the comments!
