So the time has come to start viewing homes. When you go to the home, you are obviously looking to make sure that it appeals to you but you should also be looking for more. What are these things that you are going to be looking at? That is the question we are here to answer today.
Did They Spend Time Preparing The House?
There are two types of people who sell houses, those who put work into it and those who don’t. Unless you are selling to a real estate investor, a seller should take time to clean up, organize, and even arrange the house. It makes the house look good, but it also tells buyers like you that a lack of preparation shows that someone doesn't care about their home. If they aren’t willing to prepare it to sell the house, what did they do when they owned it?
Search For Rust
Keep an eye out around the home where there is metal that is part of the home. Appliances count to. Rust means that there could have been water damage. But it could also be a sign that the person didn’t take good care of their house.
Either way, it is something to keep an eye out for.
Inspect For Quality Doors And Windows
When drafts get into your home, moisture can often follow it in. Inspecting entry points to the home is a good way to make sure that you don’t have a draft or moisture problem. Check doors to make sure they are of a solid material and the seal is well-kept. As for the windows, they should be a double pane and also have a good seal.
Making sure that all door and window frames are level. Using a level app on your phone is a good idea because only the most severe cases of uneven frames will be visible. An uneven frame can be a sign of a lot of different structural issues. One of the most significant being a shifting in the foundation.
Is The HVAC Doing Its Job?
The HVAC system is supposed to be able to keep your home at the right temperature. When viewing a home make sure that the temperature of each room is consistent with the temperature control. You will come to rely on your HVAC system during the worst times of the years and you want it to be functioning optimally.
Inconsistent temperature could also be a sign that there is a draft or some other problem with the design of the home. Make sure to spend some time trying to determine whether a draft issue is involved or if the HVAC is at fault.
Any Peeling Or Bubbling Paint
Peeling and bubbling of paint isn’t just a sign of a bad paint job. Many times bubbling and peeling is a sign that there is water damage or similar types of damage that the paint is hiding. You can ask the homeowner/realtor about such damage but you can’t know for sure until an inspector has seen the damage.
Is Anyone Else Selling In The Area?
Drive around the area for a while to take a look at the neighborhood You will get to know what the area is like, and maybe even get a chance to meet neighbors. Most people take the time to go around and learn, because when you buy a home you are joining the neighborhood.
Another reason to check the area is to look at how many other people are selling. A large number of homes selling in the area is often an indicator is something wrong. If there isn’t anything wrong in the area, you can often leverage a lot of options to get a better price.
If you are looking to sell your house quickly without having to worry about people seeing any of these problems, there is an easy solution. Turn to Congressional Home Buyers is one of the fastest ways to sell your home in DC.
Looking for houses is an exciting time. You get to see all of the options on the market and have fun while doing it. At the same time, you need to observe the homes you look at to ensure you buy a quality home. Make sure to look out for the signs above that you might need to do further investigation. Also remember to listen to your gut.