If you spent what may seem like an eternity looking for a home, visiting many open houses, checking hundreds of listings and have finally found your dream home, you probably think that you are at the finish line. However, you are not there just yet. But do not worry, you have a couple of more steps to go before you can move in. The first thing you should do is inspect the home you plan on buying. This usually means inspecting every corner of each room and checking whether or not everything works. If some things are broken or damaged, you should talk to your seller about fixing or replacing them. Some repairs you can do by yourself, but some of them should be left to professionals. Yes, this may seem like a complicated process, but that is why we are here. Thus, if you are interested in some home inspection tips prior to moving in, keep on reading.
Inspecting the Bathroom
As previously mentioned, before you call professionals to help you relocate all your belongings and move in, you must do a home inspection first. That is, you must walk through the entire home and check whether everything works. It is necessary to do this step prior to moving in! So, start from the bathroom. Bathrooms come with many problems, so you should be really detailed when inspecting them. Firstly, check whether there is mold anywhere on the tiles. Then, look for leaks. The crew behind Capital City Bins NYC argues that leaks are very common in New York City homes – turn on the water on the faucet, shower, and flush the toilet in order to make sure there are no leaks. Moreover, you should check the working conditions of all the elements in the bathroom. If you hesitate to do so, you will not be able to negotiate the price nor the remodeling agreements with the seller.
If you do not want to pay for the repairs, a home inspection can save you a lot of money.
Inspecting the Kitchen
Besides the bathroom, the kitchen is another very important room to inspect. This is because renovating and remodeling those two areas costs a fortune. So, again, check everything before you sign any papers! Inspect the working conditions of all the kitchen appliances that are coming with the house – fridge, stove, dishwasher, garbage disposal. Then, check for leaks. In this case, you should not only check the faucet but also whether there are any gas leaks for the stove. It would also be a good idea to open every kitchen cabinet as well! If something seems stuck or wobbly, you should report it to the seller. Moreover, if the house seems old, be sure to check for insects and rodents. If you happen to find any problems in the kitchen, or you are simply dissatisfied with something, be sure to tell that to the seller. The kitchen is one of the most important things sellers must repair when preparing a home for sale.
Turn on and off every appliance you find in the kitchen.
Inspecting All the Bedrooms
If you checked the kitchen and the bathroom, you can relax, as other rooms are all generally easier to inspect. For instance, when it comes to the bedroom (master bedrooms, children’s rooms, offices, guest rooms…) there are only a couple of things to check. Start by checking the floors. Look for holes or stains on the carpet. Then, move onto the walls. Check whether the plaster is cracked or if there are any stains on the walls. If your bedrooms come equipped with furniture, you should inspect those pieces too, especially if you plan on keeping them. The most important things to check, when it comes to furniture elements in the bedroom are closest and shelves. While plastic bins are an excellent, cheap way to organize items after moving in and keep them mold-free, you should check for mold or mildew inside the home. And, of course, check whether everything opens and closes smoothly.
Inspecting Interior Items
Interior items are all the items that come along with the house. They are included in the price, and most often, you can not negotiate about them. However, there are cases where sellers are willing to do almost anything to sell a home, so it will not hurt to check all the interior items and ask whether they can be fixed or replaced to your liking. You can, for instance, inspect all the lighting features. Make sure that you turn on every switch. Also, if there are any ceiling fans, check their working conditions. Then, move onto the windows and doors. Check whether they can be opened and closed smoothly and whether their locks work. If those windows and doors have draperies and blinds that are torn or broken, you should certainly aks the seller to replace or fix them for you.
When checking the interior items, pay special attention to lighting features.
Hire a Certified Inspector
If inspecting the home you plan on buying seems like a difficult task, or if this is your first time buying a home, you should definitely hire an inspector. But, not just any home inspector! You must find one with all the necessary licenses and with enough experience. These kinds of inspectors are not hard to find. You can simply ask your real estate agent, or ask the people you trust for some recommendations. And, if you have no luck finding a home inspector like that, just go online and do some researching. You will soon realize that having one by your side while purchasing a home is a must, especially if you are buying a house remotely. And why? Because they will check every piece of your home, including the roof, sewer line, fireplace and chimney, drainage, landscape, pests damage, etc. Yes, a certified inspector will be able to check and inspect everything for you and make a report based on which you will do all the negotiating. But, before you hire one, be sure that they do come with a price tag. Of course, prices differ depending on where you are, but, on average, a home inspection can cost between 350 – 600$.