Real estate property has only been getting costly for the past few decades. With each passing year, it gets more and more difficult to be a homeowner. Therefore, when you can get your dream home, make sure you thoroughly inspect it as a real estate property to know all its flaws in advance.
You would not want your excitement of being a homeowner to die down within the first few weeks, nor would you want to feel like you made a mistake. More than one-third of home buyers regret their decisions when maintenance comes up. Let’s see what steps you would need to take to avoid those feelings and inspect a real estate property:
Observations Required During Open House Viewing
Carrying out a real estate inspection can be difficult during the open house viewing. Most of the time, sellers temporarily cover up the flaws in a place. However, with keen observation, you can see the obvious signs that will show you the home’s real worth.
Here’s how you can see if a real estate property is worth the money that’s being asked for it:
Observations To Make Inside the Real Estate Property:
Look for the structural firmness of the house. No walls and floors should appear slanted or sagging. Ceilings should be straight unless intentionally created slanted. Any slant or sagging structure can indicate a bigger issue that might cost you a lot of money should you choose to buy said property.
Look for differences in old and new parts of the home. This point may not apply to all properties, but it may indicate the quality of the build. The property might not be worth any of your money if the new parts are poorly built or if the old parts seem weak.
Touch every wall and look for signs of dampness and moisture. Similarly, observe the ceilings, floors, tiles, and other structural elements for signs of mold and dampness. While you may not think of mold as a big deal, it indicates the quality of life you will have in said home. Mold can cause structural damage to a home and severe health issues to the people living in that home.
Moreover, if you detect mold in one corner of the home, there are high chances that there will be hidden mold in various parts and between the home’s structural features or other areas of the real estate property too.
Closely inspect any wooden features the house might have. Tap the wood to see if it’s solid or shallow and to understand its quality. Don’t get ripped off by paying for high-quality wooden features and get cheap wood in return. If you find the wood quality to be something other than the seller claimed, consider it a sign of untrustworthiness.
There might be other things around the house that might be different from what the seller claims. Do yourself a favor and don’t deal with this seller. However, while you’re checking the wood quality, don’t forget to lift any carpets or rugs to see the floorboards underneath.
Observations To Make In The Property’s Structure:
Another important aspect of real estate inspection is observing the power lines and switches. Look for the quality of electric wiring across the house and turn the switches on and off. The sockets themselves and the electric wiring will tell you a lot about how well-maintained the previous owners have kept the house.
As with power lines, inspecting sewage lines is equally important. You will need to turn on each tap to get a good idea about the home’s sewage system. Look for exposed pipes under the sink and in the shower to understand how old or well-maintained they are.
Ask the real estate agent to locate the water heater for you. Once they locate it, observe its condition, especially the pipes, thoroughly.
If you get the property with a malfunctioning water heater, you would be burdened with the cost of buying and installing a new water heater after already paying for it in the house cost.
Observations to Make Outside the Real Estate Property:
Both from the inside and outside, open and close all doors and windows a couple of times. Look for the quality of their frames and if they open and close easily. If they don’t, don’t hesitate to ask the host for a reason. Even if you plan on renovating the house later, you should be aware of any urgent cost the house would require.
Observe the real estate property from the outside too. Look for all the issues mentioned above, from mold to the condition of sewage pipes from the outside. Don’t forget to check the leveling of the backyard and front yard too. Observe the location of the gutter and the condition of the roof as well.
Lastly, don’t forget to use your senses of smell and hearing around the house. If you smell anything funky in the house but cannot find any apparent reason for it, it might be coming from inside it. Your sense of hearing will also tell you how quiet or noisy is the house is. You can come prepared accordingly should you decide to buy the house.
Overall Real Estate Inspection
If you are satisfied after making the observations mentioned above, you can continue making them around the real estate property. Continue observing the entire building the same way if you have been observing an apartment.
While observing the apartment building, if you find that the building has a mold and pest problem, consider rechecking the apartment for the same. You may have missed it or the sellers would have covered it up for the open house viewing.
If you have been viewing a house, you can observe the houses in the neighborhood from a distance after taking permission. The quality of the houses in the neighborhood will indicate a lot about the neighborhood than you would otherwise get to know. Moreover, it will also tell you how clean and hygienic the neighborhood is and the effort it would require you to maintain your home in the long run.
Last but not the least, deal only with a trusted real estate agent, such as those from Robert DeFalco Realty. Don’t hesitate to hire a professional house inspector if you find yourself leaning towards buying a particular real estate property. You will have to pay the house inspector, and it might seem like an unnecessary step to you as you would already be buying a house, but this small payment will save you from making many unnecessary payments in the future!
