Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,987 
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Post by Nanner on Apr 30, 2016 2:29:48 GMT
My son and his girlfriend are looking to buy their first home. What are some of the things you check or look for when buying a pre-owned home? I have owned the same house for 20 years, so I forget so many of them, and lots of new things come up.
Thanks!
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quiltz
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,839
Location: CANADA
Jun 29, 2014 16:13:28 GMT
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Post by quiltz on Apr 30, 2016 2:31:55 GMT
Get an excellent home inspector that is fully insured.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 30, 2016 2:40:51 GMT
Some of the things we looked for were:
How old is the roof?
What kind of windows and how old?
Does the basement get wet when it rains hard? Look for water staining on walls and floors.
How old are the furnace, A/C and water heater?
Check the water pressure, if possible turn on the sink or shower and then flush the toilet.
Are electrical and plumbing systems up to code?
Check how the land around the house is graded, does it slope away from the house?
Has the house been tested for radon? That's something that I wish we would have asked, because we could have had the previous owners fix it and now we have to.
These are the kinds of things that always end up adding hidden costs on the HGTV reno shows.
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Apr 30, 2016 2:55:41 GMT
Google the address to see the Streetview of it and the neighbour's house within the past couple of years. Google the address to see if any info comes up on the house. Check the foundation walls for cracks. Try the taps and toilets to make sure they work good. If they live in Calgary contact 311 as there is a 50 dollar rebate if you buy certain low flow toilets at Lowe's etc in the next couple of months. Drive by the house in the day and evening. Watch for mold in the bathroom. When he makes an offer be sure to list what is to be included such as the Vacu flo system and canister, drapes etc.
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,987
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Post by Nanner on Apr 30, 2016 3:04:27 GMT
Great suggestions, thank you.
Calgaryscrapper, they will probably be looking in Airdrie.
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Post by mrssmith on Apr 30, 2016 3:40:31 GMT
Definitely the age of the roof and the mechanicals, since you could be facing a big repair if they are not in good shape.
I've also heard to drive by at different times of day to see what the neighborhood is like (noisy/quiet,etc).
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Post by BeckyTech on Apr 30, 2016 5:11:36 GMT
Get an excellent home inspector that is fully insured. A thousand times this. The house inspector should be getting out meters to check for leaks under the toilet to running the dishwasher and washer and dryer to crawling up in the attic and going on the roof. If they don't, they are not a good house inspector. What is the life expectancy of the hot water heater, washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, and stove?
Consider the age and quality of the carpeting. Are there window coverings? Are any of the windows a custom size that blinds or coverings might be extra costly to acquire?
Call the utility company, tell them you are thinking of purchasing the home and ask what the average winter and summer utilities/water, etc. costs have been the last couple of years.
Do they have kids? Or will kids be visiting? Maybe you want to check the local sex offender registry.
Go at a time when neighbors are out and about and strike up a conversation. Find out what the neighbors are like (are there any loud music/parties regularly, etc., etc.)
How does the house face? Is their front sidewalk on the north? If so, they would be facing miserable winter sidewalk woes. Those are the sorts of things that can make a difference in quality of life. <g>
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Post by mlynn on Apr 30, 2016 5:45:08 GMT
My post isn't showing for some reason, so I am going to try to remember what I said.
Ask about outlets and storage. Not having enough outlets can be a real pita, and putting in more is not an easy thing. Also, when we were house hunting, we were told to go park in the neighborhood for a while...just reading or something. You will get a chance to see what traffic is like, foot traffic, etc. If it is noisy or if it is quiet. Is it near a school? How does that affect the neighborhood?
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,632
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Apr 30, 2016 5:51:53 GMT
Look at the schools they are zoned for, even the HS, even if they don't plan on having kids, especially if they are looking to upgrade after a few years.
I am honestly shocked at the number of people who don't look into the school until they are registering for kinder.
Also don't assume you are zoned for the closest school. Our district website has a place for you to input your address to find out which school you are zoned for.
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Post by nlwilkins on Apr 30, 2016 6:36:11 GMT
Find out if there is a Homeowners Association.
Make sure it will have good resale value, right now they probably are not worried about second bathroom, and number of bedrooms, but one bath, one bedroom houses are harder to resale and so on.
Find out if there are any warranties on the appliances, when we moved here we got a homeowners policy for fixing appliances and roof.
Find out about any home renovations in the past. Some may have been done without permits
If there are hardwood floors, have they been refinished cause you can only refinish them a limited number of times.
Type of water, is it hard? soft? do you need a water filter?
Cost of electricity. In the country around here, electicity is more expensive than in the town.
Can you get high speed internet - -THIS is very important to me!!!
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Post by mikklynn on Apr 30, 2016 13:44:14 GMT
I'll agree with the others - make sure your inspector is qualified. In many states, there are no qualification requirements to call yourself an inspector. Go to the inspection and make sure he/she gets on the roof, enters any crawl spaces, checks the electrical panel, plumbing, and hvac systems.
Look at the property - does the lot slope away from the foundation? Where will the water run? Is it the lowest house on the block? Is it on a retention pond that could flood in a 100 year rainfall?
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 30, 2016 14:17:04 GMT
I also agree with talking to some neighbors if you have the chance, and not necessarily only the people right next door. When we bought our first house it was in the wintertime and we couldn't tell that we were moving next to the one trash house on the block.  It looked nice enough from the outside. In winter. It started out bad, and then got much worse once the kids next door got to be teenagers.  Lots of loud parties, underage drinking, fighting and yelling, people coming at all hours of the day and night so we suspect there was some dealing going on there too at times. Then they eventually lost the house to foreclosure and the entire thing had to be gutted down to the lath inside because every room was trashed. It was that bad. The smell of cat pee coming out of that house when they were gutting it was so strong I was surprised it didn't get condemned. After it was fixed up we had much better neighbors who worked hard and took care of it, but that was more than a decade after we moved in. |
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Post by tuva42 on Apr 30, 2016 14:24:22 GMT
Move things. If there is furniture still in the house, don't be afraid to pull it away from the wall. We found a large hole in our garage wall when we moved in. The owners had left behind a large trash can, strategically placed to hide the hole in the wall where they hit it with their car.
Re-check the house after they move out and before closing. Former owners of our house got friends to help them move out. Friends who dragged a heavy piece of exercise equipment all the way down a hardwood floored hallway, scratching it badly.
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Post by wallyagain on Apr 30, 2016 14:25:52 GMT
Watching Holmes Inspection on HGTV will make you never buy a home without an inspection. Try CAHPI or Mike Holmes for excellent information on inspections.
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,987
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Post by Nanner on Apr 30, 2016 15:21:01 GMT
Great advice, everyone, thanks!!
A few answers:
They do not have kids, but likely will in the future. DS' GF's BFF (get that?) does have a toddler however.
They are looking in the town that my DS was born and raised in and, with the exception of a couple of years travelling, has lived in all his life. So they know the town (small city, actually). His GF also lived in this town for a few years of school. We also live in the same place.
I don't believe any of the neighbourhoods here have homeowners' associations. We are in Canada and if there are any here, they aren't nearly what they are in the U.S.
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Post by mlynn on Apr 30, 2016 17:10:19 GMT
Another thought...consider the grade of the driveway and how navigable it would be in inclement weather. My mom had a friend with a split level where the entry was level with the road and the driveway went downhill toward the garage. It was a bit hairy in regular weather. I cannot imagine if it was icy.
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Post by Patter on Apr 30, 2016 17:19:11 GMT
I second the radon testing. None of our neighbors have radon exhaust fans but we had our home checked before moving in. Turns out the radon levels were at a 12 and the EPA only allows it to be up to a 4!!! I am sure our neighbors all have high levels of radon in their homes. Our has been at a 2 since having the exhaust installed. Very, very pleased we had that checked.
Also, if they do not require a survey in your state, they should get one if they put a contract on a house. None of our neighbors had surveys done either. We believe in surveys so had one done. Turns out our two neighbors were on our land. Didn't make them happy when we put a fence in. I do not understand why people don't do surveys or want to know what land they own. When we bought the land next to us, the neighbors behind that land were quite upset because they were "told" their backyard went way back. It doesn't at all. So, their playscape, etc., is on our land. They know it and will move it once we fence in that area. Why oh why would you buy a house and not do a survey? Sorry a crazy pet peeve of mine!
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,649
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Post by basketdiva on Apr 30, 2016 17:56:59 GMT
Call the utility company, tell them you are thinking of purchasing the home and ask what the average winter and summer utilities/water, etc. costs have been the last couple of years.
We always leave a list of the last year's energy costs on the kitchen counter. We made a note that our bills reflected only 2 people living in the house (smaller bill than a family).
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Post by auntkelly on Apr 30, 2016 18:21:29 GMT
I think the old sayings "Location Location Location" and "try to buy the smallest house in the best neighborhood" still ring true. You can fix almost anything about a house except it's location. I'd make sure the house was in a good school district and had a nice backyard. Along those lines, I'd stand in the backyard during rush hour if I had any concerns about traffic noise.
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Post by anniefb on Apr 30, 2016 19:11:08 GMT
Was the property rented at any stage? Are there any strange chemical odours or stains around the drains? Stained ceilings? One of the biggest risks in buying a house now in some areas of New Zealand is that it's been used by people using or cooking Methamphetamine. Not sure if it's a problem where you are, but if it is they should definitely do a meth residue test.
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Post by librarylady on Apr 30, 2016 19:14:55 GMT
Get an excellent home inspector that is fully insured. That is an absolute MUST HAVE. I have not read the other posts, but check on the age of the AC, water heater and for foundation problems. Ask about the history of the home--fire in the past? In Texas, if a person lies about the history, the new owner can get 3x the value from the previous owner (I think that is the amount). These days, I'd try to find out if a neighbor owns a pit bull..... |
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Post by leannec on Apr 30, 2016 21:27:46 GMT
My advice is to get an experienced real estate agent ... that person should be able to see most major problems and have connections to great inspectors which is essential  Yes, my dh is an agent and I've sent you a pm  |
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 1, 2016 1:19:26 GMT
Another thought...consider the grade of the driveway and how navigable it would be in inclement weather. My mom had a friend with a split level where the entry was level with the road and the driveway went downhill toward the garage. It was a bit hairy in regular weather. I cannot imagine if it was icy. I forgot about this one. My MIL bought a house before my DH could look at it. The sidewalk from the house to the garage had just enough of a slope that it was dangerous to navigate in the winter when it was icy. His mom would end up scooting on her butt from the house to the garage to avoid falling when it was really bad. We were all so relieved when she sold that house and moved to a senior living condo with underground parking! |
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Post by hop2 on May 1, 2016 1:23:52 GMT
Well you may ( or may not ) want to check to be sure the former owner removed their porn collection from the back shed before they leave.
Just sayin. it's happened twice to my family !!! Once when I was a kid and once when DH and I bought our first house. The one when I was a kid was maybe understandable as the guy was injured and then in rehab when he sold his house thru his lawyer so I guess he couldn't hike back there to get it. No idea why the second time.
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Post by scrapApea on May 1, 2016 2:25:44 GMT
Don't look just at how pretty things are. Get down, under and over, check under sinks for leaks, check caulk, check if windows work, check basements for cracks, mold and signs of prior leaks and current leaks. Get in the attic with a good flashlight and look for leaks. Turn all the faucets, how's the water pressure? How does the water drain? Flush toilets. Check under them in the basement for leaks from the toilets. check if light switches work. How are the cabinet doors? How's the flooring? attached or peeling or cracked tiles? Look beyond the cosmetic stuff.
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Post by scrapApea on May 1, 2016 2:26:49 GMT
Another thought...consider the grade of the driveway and how navigable it would be in inclement weather. My mom had a friend with a split level where the entry was level with the road and the driveway went downhill toward the garage. It was a bit hairy in regular weather. I cannot imagine if it was icy. I forgot about this one. My MIL bought a house before my DH could look at it. The sidewalk from the house to the garage had just enough of a slope that it was dangerous to navigate in the winter when it was icy. His mom would end up scooting on her butt from the house to the garage to avoid falling when it was really bad. We were all so relieved when she sold that house and moved to a senior living condo with underground parking! OMGosh! That would be horrible! Couldn't they mudjack it straight? |
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 1, 2016 3:40:21 GMT
OMGosh! That would be horrible! Couldn't they mudjack it straight? The house was on a hill, so I think no matter what there would have been a slope. The garage was at the bottom of the hill and even the steps were pretty treacherous. We were glad when she sold that place! |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on May 1, 2016 5:26:16 GMT
Check out the schools nearby to see if they have room for children in the community, what grade they go up to and if kids are bused to the school.
Lift up the heat register to see if hardwood flooring is underneath. Ask to see a utility bill. Some people leave one out or the Realtor may have access to one. Check to see if the house is not under the approach or flight path of airplanes. In some areas it is on your title that you are in the flight path of planes. Ask how much the taxes are.
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Post by mlynn on May 1, 2016 7:10:29 GMT
Are there any underground oil tanks? People used to get oil to heat their homes. Sometimes when the heat is updated, the tank is left. Some places have laws about removing them.
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theshyone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,422
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Post by theshyone on May 1, 2016 7:30:04 GMT
Check to see if the hail damage from last years storms was repaired by reputable companies not fly by the night ones. We had friends that got hit hard by this.
Reputable home inspector with good recommendations referrals. Buyer should always pay. We accepted the one the seller had done only to find out the inspector missed or omitted so many things. As we didn't pay we couldn't sue.
Take down serial numbers of every single appliance so there are no switches after offers are made.
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It looked nice enough from the outside. In winter.
Lots of loud parties, underage drinking, fighting and yelling, people coming at all hours of the day and night so we suspect there was some dealing going on there too at times. Then they eventually lost the house to foreclosure and the entire thing had to be gutted down to the lath inside because every room was trashed. It was that bad. The smell of cat pee coming out of that house when they were gutting it was so strong I was surprised it didn't get condemned. After it was fixed up we had much better neighbors who worked hard and took care of it, but that was more than a decade after we moved in.
