You’ve read all the tips on how to find your dream home, from hiring a real estate agent that will help you to choose the best location and building your home from scratch to figuring out which renovations you need to do to an existing home. What you might not know is that with an existing dream house you need to look below the surface to determine what needs to be fixed before you sign on the dotted line.
Buying a new home is a huge investment and a costly one at that, so you want to go over the house with a keen eye and look for everything from the heat pump to the heater and air conditioning unit. When you think you’ve found the perfect home in the right neighborhood, it’s important to dig a little bit further and go through the following things on your inspection list before making a final decision.
HVAC System
One of the most expensive items in a new home or any home for that matter is the HVAC system. You need to check and be sure that the heat pump isn’t in need of repair and that the furnace and the AC unit are working from the beginning. When in the home listen for loud noises coming from the HVAC system, and look for leaks and other noises coming from the heat pump. If you notice any of these things, then it’s possible that the furnace or heat pump needs repairing. You want the current owner to do the repairs instead of you having to do it after you move in, as HVAC systems and heat pumps aren’t cheap to repair or replace.
Electrical Systems
When you find a house in your price range it can be easy to let what seems like the little things go. That’s not a good idea because then the problems and expenses fall on you. Take your electrical systems, for instance, if you don’t inspect the outlets, breaker boxes, and tripper connections, then the cost and the danger are on you in the long run. Check to see if there are any burn marks on the plug connections and if there are then it’s time to have the electrical system inspected completely or move on to the next possible dream home on your list.
Septic System
The last thing you want is to think you’ve purchased your dream home only to wake up one morning and your toilets and sinks are clogged or worse the septic system is backing up into your yard. Save yourself the grief by having a thorough inspection done of the septic system before you finalize the paperwork on the home. Signs that you can see visibly yourself are puddles forming in the yard or any signs of a foul smell that doesn’t belong there.
Roof
The roof is one of the most ignored parts of a home, and it’s the thing that actually keeps your family safe from the elements outside. You should take the time to inspect the roof before you purchase that house you’ve had your eye on. Repairing or replacing a roof can get quite expensive, and that’s the last thing you need to have to shell out money for as a new homeowner. Besides your energy efficiency is going to be great if the roof over your head is in great shape.
These are just a few of the things that you should look for under the surface of your dream house. While the interior and exterior of the home are important, so are the items that could cost you thousands in renovations and repairs if you don’t make sure they’re in good shape before you sign the final paperwork to make the house your own.
