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I would hire a home inspector during contract negotiation of course, but when my husband and I look myself, what should we look for as red flags?
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Saw a house once where a homeowner took out a lally column in the basement to "open" the basement up.
You could see the 1st floor sagging from where the pole was removed and quite stupidly, the pole that was removed was in the corner of the work room.
Saw a house once where a homeowner took out a lally column in the basement to "open" the basement up.
You could see the 1st floor sagging from where the pole was removed and quite stupidly, the pole that was removed was in the corner of the work room.
I walked away from a house with serious termite damage. Seller would have paid to have it fixed. I did not want to get involved, since the damage likely extended into structural components I could not see.
Expensive maintenance issues like plumbing/heating, windows, roof depends on how good a price you are getting. If certain items need to be repaired or replaced, just keep it in mind in term of the purchase price. It still may make sense to buy the house.
First impressions are important. Curb appeal exists. As I get out of the car I want to see a well-maintained yard, the front of the house is clean, doesn't need painting, doesn't' show signs of wood rot or missing shingles on the roof (unless I'm looking for an investor).
First thing I do when I walk in is take a deep sniff. Are there pet or other odors? Is the interior of the house in good shape? Are there any signs of water damage?
Take a round pencil with you. If you think the floor is not level (assuming it's not carpeted) see if the pencil rolls.
Note there is usually a distinct difference between a house where the owner occupies it and one where it's occupied by a tenant. If I know it's tenant occupied, there will be less pride and I will cut them more slack.
I'm of course, looking to see if this house fits our needs or the needs of my clients.
I'm also going to be checking out the neighborhood. How well kept is it? How convenient to schools, shopping, etc?
Is the house in a flood plain?
I could go on, but i'm not trying to write a buyer's guide.
One last thing, once you find that house that you want, visit it several times a day and throughout the week. How's the traffic? Can you hear trains or airplanes? Are there businesses like night clubs or indoor gun ranges that might create noise?
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Need to base the violation against your budget and value of the home and whether or not it is worth while to get involved with a potential major repair.
Anything is fixable.
Think of the big-ticket structural items: foundation, electric, plumbing/heat, roof, evidence of mold/termites... If these things are in good shape, you're probably ok. I'd ask about Sandy/flood damage too.
Take a round pencil with you. If you think the floor is not level (assuming it's not carpeted) see if the pencil rolls.
We have a house that settled unevenly in 1 line just past the foyer and according to the home inspector, there's nothing wrong with the foundation, but it's just how it settled. Walls that have remained for decades, and even through adding another floor, have not cracked. This was also backed up by HGTV shows that have said the same thing about settling. It's not always a red flag.
First impressions are important. Curb appeal exists. As I get out of the car I want to see a well-maintained yard, the front of the house is clean, doesn't need painting, doesn't' show signs of wood rot or missing shingles on the roof (unless I'm looking for an investor).
First thing I do when I walk in is take a deep sniff. Are there pet or other odors? Is the interior of the house in good shape? Are there any signs of water damage?
Take a round pencil with you. If you think the floor is not level (assuming it's not carpeted) see if the pencil rolls.
Note there is usually a distinct difference between a house where the owner occupies it and one where it's occupied by a tenant. If I know it's tenant occupied, there will be less pride and I will cut them more slack.
I'm of course, looking to see if this house fits our needs or the needs of my clients.
I'm also going to be checking out the neighborhood. How well kept is it? How convenient to schools, shopping, etc?
Is the house in a flood plain?
I could go on, but i'm not trying to write a buyer's guide.
One last thing, once you find that house that you want, visit it several times a day and throughout the week. How's the traffic? Can you hear trains or airplanes? Are there businesses like night clubs or indoor gun ranges that might create noise?
Wow Glenn. If you wrote a buyers guide, I would get it!! Thank you!
Mold
Termite damage -looked a house that had severe termite damage said no right away
cracked foundation or sinking.
flooding in the basement
leaking roof
Foundation issues
Termite damage
Mold
See what's behind the wrapping paper - you want to see that the wrapping paper isn't holding up crumbling plaster.
Keep an eye out for strange, homeowner-done "improvements" like the lolly column that was mentioned above, load bearing walls that have been removed, additional bathrooms that may have wonky plumbing, etc.
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