"Looking and Evaluating "
are the keys
to successful purchasing.
Although the six questions that buyers must ask when evaluating a
home,
and other concerns are important tools in the total
process,
The simple act of looking at
the house and the surrounding area will save you time, money, and
reduce the anxiety and stress associated with home buying.
Simply put- in addition to the
location, size and type of home
you need and want:
-
If you
do not know the difference between a hammer and a
screwdriver or do not have the cash available after closing to pay for needed repairs, do
not look at homes that are classified as below average condition, handyman
specials or foreclosures.
-
If you are looking for a house
that you want to customize to your needs and you have
a sufficient cash
for the needed repairs and additions, do not look at new or recently renovated homes.
-
If you are looking for a
fix-it-up type of house
or foreclosure, get written estimates for all the needed
work prior to making an offer. If after paying all the closing cost
you have sufficient cash reserve
for the needed repairs and additions, go for it!
-
If
you are looking for the typical home that is between recently renovated
and handyman
special, you are in the middle of the buying range and you
are looking for the best house
in terms of its physical condition
within your
price range.
-
If you are looking for an
older house because it has
"character", unless the house
has been totally renovated, remember you will be dealing with a lot of "characters"
while you drain your cash reserve fund for the needed repairs.
-
If you are purchasing a
new home, you need to understand the difference between
minimum construction standards and terms like "Built to Code" or
"Contractor's Select Quality" verses
"Built to Standards for Good
Quality Materials and Workmanship".
And remember, except for quality
builders, the new home warranty with the definitions of workmanship and tolerances
has more exclusions and limitations than items covered.
After selecting the geographic area, school district, style and size of the home (ranch, split level, two-story, 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms, number of
baths, etc.) look at the houses that you are considering.
If something is
missing,
the roof ridge is
sagging, the roof surface is wavy and worn, the
exterior walls are leaning, the front walkway and
driveway are a series of potholes and tripping
hazards, the basement is an indoor swimming pool
because of flooding, there are large foundation and
interior wall cracks, the interior floors have
definite slopes and/or are uneven, stairs are
leaning and you tightly grab the hand railing as you
walk the stairs, then the house
is in less than mint condition.
After purchasing
the home, as described above, you
will need a large cash reserve fund after closing to pay for the needed work.
After asking
The Six
Basic Questions and Looking at the House you
can the start to answer
the # 1 concern of buyers'- Is the House Structural Sound?
(see buyers' survey results).
Use the illustrations in the photo gallery below to identify some of the areas
of concern.
This site and links are a general guild to pre-inspecting a
home and
is NOT a substitution for an accurate and comprehensive pre-purchase inspection performed by a licensed
Registered Architect or Professional Engineer.
Only licensed Registered Architects or Professional Engineers
can be engaged to render a professional opinion regarding the stability of a
home. See the section of Selecting a
Registered Architect or Professional
Engineer
to perform a pre-purchase inspection and what to expect?
Photo Gallery
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