How To Avoid Shocks when Buying a House
Buying a home may be a nerve-racking process, and finding problems the week you move in can be a nightmare. If you’re purchasing new construction, such as Manorwood Estates in Commack New York, you will have little to worry about. New construction generally will not have hidden surprises as everything is newly built. Most problems come up with existing homes, and great care must be taken when purchasing a home.
1. Use a Home Inspector with Existing Homes! We can’t address this enough. While a home inspector can cost several hundred dollars or more, he or she can save you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road. I also know people who looked at houses, were ready to make-out the deposit check and stopped because the inspector uncovered badly damaged foundations that needed tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, drooping walls that needed structural rebuilding of the home, faulty wiring that present a fire hazard and other problems that are not visible to the naked eye. Even those that are visible may not set off a red flag to a homeowner, whereas an inspector they can quickly see the danger.
2. Drive by the home at Different Times. We’re not advising you park in front of the house and scare the existing homeowners. Drive by several times on different days and look at the neighborhood. Don’t even look at the house. Focus on what is going on around the house. Is this a neighborhood you want to reside in? Are these the people you want to have? They will be there when you move-in, so be sure you think about this before buying a home. You can love the home, but hate the block. If that the case, you may want to search elsewhere.
3. Ask to View the House Immediately after a Heavy Rain. Monitor the weather reports. If there is a report of heavy rains on a Tuesday, try to plan a visit on Tuesday evening. The house may seem dry during the open house, but it may be leaky or damp after rain. You would’nt want to be surprised to learn this on the day you move in.
4. Ask Some Apparent Questions. If all the other houses in the area use natural gas to power in the stove, does this one? If oil heat is common, is this how to use electric? These are big questions to ask that many people just take for granted. Be sure you know the answers.
5. Look at the Landscape. Does the land pitch away from the house? Why does the backyard have a hill that runs down towards the house? Ideally, you want property the grades away from the house so that rainwater runs-off from the foundation. If the property is graded towards the home, that run-off water may drift to your foundation, which can cause foundation damage, leaks and floods.
This is the largest purchase many people will ever make. Make sure that you’ve asked all the questions, open all the doors, look behind the pictures and, yes, even behind posters on the walls, to make sure everything is what you expect. In one home we found, a movie poster covered in 18 inch hole in the wall!
With new construction – usually new developments – you generally do not have these problems. Nonetheless, you should look at these things carefully to avoid issues down the road.
Tips by Craig Axelrod, with Emmy Homes. Emmy is which is one of Long Island’s premier real estate developers. Emmy’s Commack development features luxury homes in Commack. Visit EmmyHomes.com for information.
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