The home buying process can be extremely stressful. There are so many things to look at when buying a used home, whether it’s related to electrical, foundation or plumbing. Chances are, you hired or will hire an inspector to take a look at the house. An inspector comes later in the process after you have made an offer and made your down-payment. We are sharing some tips to look out for before you put in your offer to eliminate unnecessary money spending and time on your part.
- Don’t Judge Outdated Décor or PaintStep back, use your imagination and envision how you can update this space to make it more “you”. These are simple, cost-friendly changes that shouldn’t hinder your decision.
- Check Your KitchenGet underneath the sink and examine the pipes. Check for leaks, water damage, corrosion or mold. If there are signs of any of these, you will need to make a decision. You will either move on to look at other homes or call your local plumber, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing to fix the repairs.
- Trust Your Fifth SenseDo you smell sewage, gas or anything else unpleasant? Older homes sewage systems can sometimes get clogged or damaged. There could be a simple reason to the smell, but it could also be something much bigger that would be more costly to fix.
- Test EverythingTurn on every light switch, faucets and flush the toilets. If you test these things and they don’t work, you know there will be an expense for repairs.
- Check Out That RoofDoes it look fairly new or does it seem to be caving in? Roofs are one of the highest expenses for a home. Make sure you know the status of it before you move forward with the home buying process.
- Decide What Your Deal-Breakers Are
Have you decided how many bedrooms you want? Is a garage a requirement or would you settle for a car port? Is the home equipped for your water softener needs? Does it allow a gas water heater? These are all things that you need to consider when searching for a used home. You may be lucky enough to find your perfect home that has all of your wish-list items. If you aren’t that lucky, come up with a list of items you can and cannot live without to make your selection process easier.
Once you have gone through this list, checked everything out and you decide to move forward with making an offer, it is always a good idea to hire a home inspector. A home inspector will look at absolutely everything in your home to make sure it is up to code, show you what needs repairs and what is in good condition.
The value in this article is to save some money up-front prior to scheduling an appointment with a home inspector to check for some major things that could save you money later in the process.
