Buyer Resources
5 Things To Scrutinize When Buying Your New Home
When Looking to Buy a New Home, Look Closely For These 5 Things Meta Description: It's easy to love the first couple of homes you view. Be sure to do these 5 things to make sure your dream home isn't actually an impending nightmare.
Finally, you've narrowed down your home search to a handful of listings or less. You're officially one step closer to turning the key and walking into your new home. However, before you pop the champagne you'll first want to make sure that your new dream home won't actually have you waking up in a nightmare. Here at [insert name of agent/team], we wanted to give you a few things to focus on before settling on your find:1. Avoid a "Jekyll-n-Hyde" Neighborhood
Unfortunately, for some communities, the evil comes out at night. Always be sure to drive through to get a better idea of where you could potentially be living. The mistake most buyers make is doing this only once and during a neutral time like early afternoon. That's not a true picture of the area. It's best to visit more than once and vary your days and times. Be sure to include evenings as well when it's presumed that most are home from work and children are home from school. This will paint the true portrait.
2. High Traffic Could Mean Lower Value
As your driving the streets of the neighborhood, be sure to note if the home you're interested in is in a secluded section that's more private or if it's a high traffic area. This may seem trivial, but, the truth is it matters quite a bit. This is particularly true if there are children in your household. The more car traffic, the less likely it is that you'll feel comfortable with your little ones playing outside unattended. It can be a serious deal breaker for some parents.
2. High Traffic Could Mean Lower Value
As you're driving the streets of the neighborhood, be sure to note if the home you're interested in is in a secluded section that's more private or if it's a high traffic area. This may seem trivial, but, the truth is it matters quite a bit. This is particularly true if there are children in your household. The more car traffic, the less likely it is that you'll feel comfortable with your little ones playing outside unattended. It can be a serious deal breaker for some parents.
3. Don't Be Afraid to Get "Touchy-Feely"
If all looks good at this point you should schedule a home viewing. When inside the home, be sure to do more than look around. Now's the time to find out if there's anything that needs repair or may be a major problem down the road. Test the doorknobs. Open the cabinets and windows. Turn on every faucet and light switch. If something doesn't work well (or at all) now's the time to know and not after closing.
4. Follow The Drip
When you're in the process of testing the faucets throughout the home, be sure to look for things such as water pressure and water color. Contrary to what the seller may say, that brown water isn't actually Pepsi. Make sure the color is clear and the stream is consistent. If either is off that may be indicative of a bigger problem with the pipes or water heater. Also be sure to look under each sink and on floors for possible leaks that could lead to mildew issues or worst: MOLD.
5. Look Up!
Last, but certainly not least, assess the roof of the home. This means the exterior as well as the interior. Getting a ladder may not be necessary, but, considering the investment you're about to make I'd say it's more than worth it. That way you can get a good look at the shingles and roof as a whole to see if anything is overly worn or outright damaged. Inside the home, look for water stains where the walls meet the ceiling. This is proof of a leaky roof and the cost of having that repaired or replaced altogether is enough to make walking away a smart decision.