4 Things to Check Before You Buy Your First Home
Investing in a home can be overwhelming, and that is why many first-time buyers make offers without realizing what they are getting themselves into. You won’t ever be able to inspect every inch of a home before you buy it, but you can minimize your risks by carefully inspecting these four areas.
Inside the Cabinets
One of the most common mistakes that home buyers make is not looking through all of the cabinets and drawers. Inside the cabinets, you might find a wide variety of major issues including animal droppings, dead pests, and termite damage. You also need to check below all of the sinks in the home for any signs of water damage. Buying a home with water damage is very risky, and you probably shouldn’t make an offer if you find any mold, mildew, or rotting wood.
Appliances
Another mistake that many people make when buying a home is not testing the appliances. The seller should allow you to inspect and turn on all of the appliances. In addition to testing the appliances in the kitchen and laundry room, you need to check all of the outlets and switches as well. The easiest way to test the outlets is to bring a phone charger with you during the walkthrough.
Foundation
Even if you aren’t a construction expert, you should still take a look at the foundation of a home before you make an offer. A few small cracks are perfectly normal, but the foundation shouldn’t be crumbling or uneven. Those are clear signs that there is a serious problem with the foundation, and that damage could impact the rest of the home. A sunken or uneven foundation will end up damaging the walls, doors, windows, and roof.
Roof
Roofs must withstand quite a bit of wear and tear over the years, and you need to keep an eye out for any signs that the roof might be nearing the end of its lifespan. A few curled or bent shingles shouldn’t be a problem, but the majority of the roof needs to be undamaged. If the roof is old but you still love the home, you can ask the seller to reduce the asking price. You can then take the money that you saved and hire roofers once the home is yours.
It might be tempting to try and save some money by inspecting a home on your own, but that could be a serious mistake. Professional inspectors have been trained to find issues that the average buyer is going to miss, and one of those individuals can give you peace of mind when it comes time to make an offer.