Buying a house is huge investment; hence you need to be completely sure of your decision. No matter what your realtor says, you need to inspect the home yourself to be sure that everything is fine. When there are ‘open for inspection’ homes, take some time off and go check on every essential aspect so that later on you don’t need to spend unnecessarily on repairs and replacements. So here are some of them.
- The roof
Before you even step inside the house, take a good look at the roof. If it looks new, you might not have much to worry about since there would be lesser repairs to do. However, if it looks old and rusty, well then you probably got some work to do. You could bring with you a professional to check out for any holes, cracks, blockages etc. If so, you might have to put in place gum leaf gutter guard, clear out the blockages and give it a full repair. Also ask the professional what material the roof is made and if it could withstand heavy winds. - The rooms
A paint job may conceal some cracks on the walls so that you’ll not notice, but you should. Cracked, moist walls are not a good sign since it means there are water leakages through them. There is a high possibility they’ll fall off in sometime, or at least the paint would start chipping off. Your realtor must have decorated the room but shouldn’t get carried away. Check for any cracks ad creeks on the foundation too. - Plumbing and heating
These are expensive to repair, but also expensive if you do not repair. So it is a bit of a trade off. If you don’t repair these two, your utility bills will fly up, costing you more so get them repaired at the beginning itself. Check the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_gutter furnace, all faucets, pipelines etc. to locate any leakages. Leakages could cause germ build-up so if you are going to live with a little kid or an elderly person, it could cause various illnesses. - Smell it
Yes you need to go around smelling your house to catch leakages, blockages and other issues. Sewage issues are the last thing you need when you buy a home newly so get it all inspected. Smelling could easily help you identify such leakages and also gas leaks. If you get a bad smell as you enter the house, it could probably be a blockage in the gutters. Put up leaf guard gutter system so that you’ll be safe during the rainy season. - Doors and windows
Ensure your doors and windows are properly sealed and your home is insulated. Insulation helps in saving energy by capturing cold air inside and not letting hot air come in during summer, and the opposite in winter, which will result in lower electricity bills for you.