If you’re in the market to buy a home for your first time or for the first time in a while, you might be nervous about ensuring that the home you choose to buy will be a good investment for you. Especially if you’re not looking to get a fixer upper, you’ll need to do your own due diligence during the walk-throughs to ensure that you know exactly what you’re getting and what kind of maintenance or upgrades you’ll be responsible for.
To help you with this process, here are three things to consider when walking through a home for sale.
Ask About The Basics
When you set up a time to view a home or are participating in an open house, there should be someone there to answer your questions as you walk through the home. And to ensure that you get all of the answers you need, be sure you write down and ask all of the questions that you have about the home.
Some of the most important questions to ask when checking out a home are about the basics of the structure. Ask about things like the roof, the foundation, and HVAC system, and other home basics. Inquire about when those things were last replaced or serviced. Try to get receipts or any other information you can glean about when things were done and what work took place. This way, you can know exactly what might need to be taken care of in the near or distant future.
Keep An Eye Out For Damage
Something else that you’ll want to keep an eye out for is any damage that you may notice. Especially if you live in a place that can have extreme weather, you’ll want to make sure that there are no signs of recent damage that haven’t already been addressed.
Along with looking for signs of apparent damage, you should also look for ways that damage might have been covered up. So if you see or smell anything that could be related to water damage or other forms of damage, make sure you get more information about this.
Double Check The Windows
One feature of the home that you should always check out when looking to buy a home are the windows. The windows of a home can tell you a lot about the structure and the maintenance of the home.
If you notice that windows are hard to open, this could be a sign of foundation problems. Additionally, if windows haven’t been put in correctly, this can be a big expense to fix. And in areas where you want your home to be properly sealed and insulated, thin or old windows can be a problem.
If you’re going to be looking at some houses to purchase, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn as much as you can about these properties.