Home Buying – Items To Consider

For most people buying a home will not only be the largest purchase in their lifetime but also their greatest asset. It is for this reason you should make a thorough review and checklist before buying a home. In fact, having a punch list the way a contractor would go through a house is a great idea.

When looking for a home where do you start in a neighborhood? For starters, main traffic arteries through better residential sections usually are good guides to follow in picking a home or building site. Lots close to highways, including those beyond the developed areas, likely have fairly stable values.

Zoning restrictions may change sharply as economic pressure develops in future years. Even if no one puts a glue factory on your street, you may unhappily discover that your neighborhood is losing its original residential character. So ask your public planning officials about the prospects.

Restrictions running with the property may cause unpleasant surprises unless you know about them when you buy. You may suppose they merely keep the neighbors from doing things like erecting unsightly storage sheds in their back yards. But they also may prevent you from fencing your garden to keep out the neighbor’s dog.

Think ahead about the house you are buying – 5 or 10 years ahead. If you have young children, the question of separate bedrooms will come up in due course. Are there likely to be elderly parents or other relatives sharing your home in the future? If so, a first floor bedroom and bath may be desirable.

The whole question of the livability of any house may be considered in terms of the family’s needs. Will it accommodate without friction the hobbies of the individual members, their need for privacy? Is a rec room or home theather a vital requirement?

Settle as many of these questions as you can in family discussions or in your own mind before you start looking at specific houses. It will save you time, perhaps save you from being talked into buying something that doesn’t really meet your needs.

For people who build their own houses, structural soundness is largely a question of good specifications and competent supervision to see that they are carried out. Buying an existing house, especially an older one, is a different matter.

The roof line, to take an obvious starting point, should not sag. Such a condition is difficult to correct. Don’t let anybody tell you it’s a minor matter.

The chimney is important. Some chimneys may be causing trouble. Only way to check on the chimney draft is to light a fire in the fireplace.

Gutters and downspouts should be checked carefully. What about termites? Stick a knife blade into suspected beams or joists. If the wood is powdery, buy some other house.

A floor drain in the basement is important. Lack of it sometimes betrays a careless or inferior builder. If the basement has an outside areaway, this should have a separate drain.

Basement leakage can be a major headache. Remember that it is very difficult to do waterproofing effectively from the inside. Wet patches on the foundation and basement walls are danger signs.

Heating systems may be convenient, but the is the furnace is efficient. You may have to check that with a heating specialist.

Water pressure is often a source of trouble in older houses. Turn on all the faucets in the house; then see if there is pressure enough in an upstairs faucet.

Overloaded electrical circuits are dangerous. Look at the fuse box. If larger fuses have been installed in order to accommodate more lights or appliances, the circuits are overloaded and there’s a risk of fire.

Picture windows are all the rage. Even expensive thermal glass does not counteract the tendency of cold air to flow off large glass areas. Moreover, big windows on the street side may drive you frantic, what with lack of privacy, and glare from headlights of passing automobiles.

Insulation of outside walls and roofs is fairly standard in the building of houses now. But insulating material that is pumped into wall spaces may settle. It generally is not as desirable as insulation that is nailed in place.

These are just a few of the many items to consider.