If you are thinking about buying a home, there are several things that you need to remember that are often left out. Pretty much anything above and below the house tend to be forgotten about and unfortunately not all real estate agents and owners are incredibly honest enough to remind you, especially if these things need work. Things like roof repairs and sewer pipe replacement are important to know about and if they haven’t been mentioned then you need to ask the general contractors that are working on other issues of the home. Never close on a house without making sure all of the following are taken care of:
Roof Repairs
Roof repairs are not a small job. The lifespan of a roof is pretty long but if you’ll need to find out how long is left before you’ll need to invest in roof replacement. If it is only a matter of a few years, it’s recommended to have the owner pay for the replacement before you move in. If you feel that you are not getting straight answers regarding the roof, you can insist on hiring your own roofing contractor to come and check out the scene. Make sure that you trust the contractor you hire and they have no working relationship with general contractor or real estate agents as much of these industries overlap. If your contractor comes back with a list of roof repairs that need to be done that the real estate agent, contractor and owner have not disclosed, you may want to consider walking away from the house as there might be even more issues that they are hiding from you.
Plumbing
Pipes and sewer lines last about 30-50 years so you won’t have to worry about this if you are moving into a newer home but if you are looking to buy an older place, then you should ask when the last time was that the pipes were replaced. If the house has been being rented out for a time before you purchasing it, you can pretty much guarantee that the pipes have not been checked, must less replaced. It’s fairly easy nowadays to have the pipes checked. Find a plumber that is familiar with the trenchless methods of replacing pipes and they will probably also know about sewer drain cameras. This is when a camera is placed on a flexible rod and fed through the sink or shower drain in order to check the quality of the pipes.
Electrical
Locate the fuse box or where the main break is located in the home you are deciding on. The box should be easy to access and it should maintained and kept in safe, good working condition. Next, make sure the house has a sufficient number of outlets throughout the house compared to the electrical box. Any outlets in the kitchen or bathrooms should have ground fault circuit interrupters. If they do not, that is something you should definitely request. They are not expensive and are very effective in preventing major shocks from happening.
Attic
If the home has an attic, then that is a great place to check for leakage and water damage. Particularly examine the ceiling and the walls to find water stains and spots. If there is evidence of water damage, you may be able to smell a damp or musty odor. The insulation in the attic will also provide you with information about the insulation in the rest of the house. The easiest place to look at it, however, is the attic because generally speaking, the insulation is exposed there where it may not be in the rest of the house. Make sure that it is also sufficient for where the house is located.
Checking these things is very important in order to understand the overall quality of the house. The truth is, if you have to ask about these areas, that should raise some red flags because a good contractor will know that these are the problem areas that must be checked on and explained to any potential buyer. Never purchase a home without having a full understanding and knowledge of the areas of the house that you cannot see.