What to Look for when Touring a Home?
What to Look For When Touring a Home?
Before you begin touring, research homes online and start narrowing down your must-haves versus nice-to-haves. When prospective homebuyers discover something special during their home tour, they can immediately want to place an offer. Oftentimes, homebuyers get so excited about something in the house that they forget to look for costly issues. Make sure yousee everything thoroughly during home tours so you can avoid rash decisions. In order to make a good investment, evaluate these aspects of the house during your tour before deciding whether it will make a good home. In this article, we’ll walk you through what to look for when touring a home and take a look at what’s most important—and what’s not.
Here are ten things to look for when you tour a home:
Location and Neighborhood
What to Look For When Touring a Home? They say that the three most important things to think about when buying a home are location, location, location. Evaluate the house’s location. Location matters, so beware of convincing yourself otherwise when you’re tempted to overlook what you need nearby. Look at neighbors’ homes, nearby buildings and road systems in search of things that would make living in your home less pleasant, including odors, noise and traffic..
Floor Plan and Room Sizes
You can knock out a wall to create bigger rooms, but it’s not as easy as the home improvement shows make it look. The home must have all the rooms you need and a layout that works for your family. Those are expensive to change and a lot of work. Don’t buy a property you have to do a lot of demolition on.
Signs of Water Damage
Water damage causes significant problems. That creek might look picturesque now, but it won’t when it comes cascading through your back door. The increasing unpredictability of weather means that it’s vital to consider the possibility of flooding. I have seen people unable to insure their house against flood risk, which can create giant damage bills on a regular basis. If you see signs of water damage during your home tour, talk to your real estate agent and contractor before purchasing the house. What to Look For When Touring a Home
Loan Type
There are several types of mortgage loans, but the most commonly used are fixed-rate mortgage and adjustable-rate loans. Fixed-rate loans have the same interest rate for the entire duration of the loan. That means your monthly payment will be the same, even for long-term loans, such as 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. Two benefits to this loan type are stability, and being able to calculate your total interest up front. Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) have interest rates that can change over time. Typically, they start out at a lower interest rate than a fixed-rate loan, and hold that rate for a set number of years, before changing interest rates from year to year. For example, if you have a 5/1 ARM, you will have the same interest rate for the first 5 years, and then your interest rate will change from year to year. The main benefit of an adjustable-rate loan is starting off with a lower interest rate.
Mold
To detect possible signs of mold while touring a home, discreetly open bathroom and sink cabinets to take a look around water pipes or drains. Even small black or gray spots indicate that more serious issues may be lurking. What to Look For When Touring a Home? You can also check the caulking around faucets and tubs for black spots, and look for patches on the ceiling.
Roofs and Gutters
As a lay person, you may not be able to tell if a roof has reached the end of its natural life, especially from the ground. But you certainly can tell if it looks worn, a sign that you need to ask more questions. If the seller or seller’s agent doesn’t know the roof’s age, you may be able to find records of a permit in the city’s archives. If the roof doesn’t meet certain standards, you may not be able to get a mortgage or homeowners insurance.
Ventilation
Without adequate interior ventilation, moisture sticks around, which can create mold and increase allergies. The tipoff: Look for condensation on windows or slightly bubbled or peeling paint around windows, doors, or vents. This can indicate moisture in the walls and ceiling drywall. Being attentive to these red flags in a house tour ensures that you’re not wasting your time on a home that isn’t the one for you.
Electrical Boxes
If you’re considering a home that still has the old fuse boxes, you’re definitely looking at a job that needs to be done immediately – and perhaps something that will prevent you from getting a mortgage or the homeowners insurance required for a mortgage. Other electrical signs to keep an eye out for are wiring that’s obviously jury-rigged. If it’s old and worn out, it may need some maintenance, and those are not cheap. That electrical panel may be the tip of the iceberg.
Furnaces and Air Conditioners
If possible, ask to have the air conditioning and the plumbing turned on, and listen for suspicious sounds. A home inspection will examine these components more carefully, but you can get a hint by looking and listening.
Cracks in Garage Floors and Uneven Flooring
Foundation problems can be expensive to repair. Cracks in the garage floor or floors that feel uneven when you walk are indicators of potential problems. Cracks in ceilings and walls may or may not matter. Foundation issues can create such cracks, but so can less serious causes such as slamming doors or normal settling.
Light and the Home’s General Feel
Buying real estate is both a logical and emotional process. How the house makes you feel can be part of your decision-making process, as long as you’re not unduly swayed by décor and staging. Is the house light or dark? Which direction does it face? When and where will sunlight come in?
Yard size, Shape and Features
You can change the floor beds, but it’s unlikely you’ll be in the house long enough to see new trees grow into a mature canopy. If you want a place where your children can play baseball, a yard with a steep slope will probably not work. And, of course, you will never be able to make the yard bigger.
Termite Presence
What to Look For When Touring a Home? The presence of live termites can throw a house contract into jeopardy, so it pays to recognize the signs before making an offer. One telltale indication is small piles of tiny brown droppings on a floor near a wall. Other signs include a hollow sound when you knock on a wood surface and the presence of mud tubes on a foundation. Termites are subterranean, so they construct tiny tunnels of mud along foundations and walls to protect them from sunlight as they travel back and forth between the wood they’re munching and their below-ground nests.
The Year of The Home
Many older homes could have been built with what we now consider as hazardous materials or have been renovated haphazardly over the years. If touring an older home, ask if the home still has asbestos insulation or lead paint. Older homes are also known for having older electrical and plumbing systems. You may ask to have a contractor or professional join you in your home tour to properly evaluate the quality of these systems to see if they need to be replaced — and most importantly, costs associated.
Deferred Maintenance
Look for signs that the home owner might have neglected routine home maintenance. A serious homeowner is going to flush the water heater annually, change air filters monthly, clean the chimney, inspect the roof for leaks, and regularly check windows and doors, which will keep all those systems in good working order.
Outdoor Features and Structures
While outside, inspect the overall grounds of the home as well as the exterior features that are especially expensive to repair. If applicable, check the state of the septic tank, water heater, well, HVAC system, garage, garage door, porches, deck, crawl space, the foundation (slab), sheds, fencing, etc. Be sure to not only look at the state of these items, but how they’re operating.
Threat From Mother Nature
Keep an eye out for the home’s proximity to natural hazards. Below are some examples:
- Low-hanging trees
- Older or dying trees
- Waterways subject to flooding
- Landscaping that may cause flooding or pooling of rainwater
Insurance may cover some issues mentioned above, but for others, you may need to pay for additional home coverage to protect your home. If it fits in within your budget, then it isn’t a problem to consider buying a home existing issues that would require attention. In some cities, some of the natural hazards are inevitable (such as flooding), therefore protection is important. But if it’s too much of a risk, then you may want to consider a home in a different location.
What to Look For When Touring a Home? Other Issues
Doors and Windows:
Check doors and windows to make sure they slide easily. If they stick, it could be a sign of foundation issues, or just poor installation.
Aging HVAC Systems:
Look at anything in the house that will cost money to fix: appliances, flooring, landscaping, roof and HVAC systems are good examples. Are they in good shape, or will you get stuck with an unexpected expense upon move-in?
Fence and Wall:
Adding fences is expensive, and although your family may not need a fence now, there may be a time when you’ll need one — like if you add pets or kids to the picture.
Water Stains:
Water and construction materials don’t mix. The trickle of water from a leaky roof or window can over time rot away structural wood members. If water stains are yellowish or brownish, they may be evidence of a plumbing problem on an upper floor. Until you know where a leak is coming from and how much damage it’s caused, don’t make an offer.
Saggy Ceiling:
No matter how quaint and cozy the house, if the ceiling sags, it’s a red flag. A saggy ceiling—even if the sag is only slight—can be the result of roof leaks, structural movement that’s causing the ceiling drywall to work loose from the ceiling joists, or an insect infestation that’s eating away at the joists. Whatever the cause, fixing it could be expensive.
Shingle Problem:
Replacing a roof is an expensive proposition: A new roof can cost $6,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on the size of the roof and the type of roofing materials, so it pays to check out the roof carefully. Shingles that curl up at the corners, missing shingles, cracked shingles, or exposed nail heads are all signs that the roof might need to be replaced. A roofing contractor will know for sure.
Sloping Floors:
Normal settling can cause floors to be slightly out of level, but if the slope is noticeable, it could be related to a foundation problem, broken floor joists, or rotted support beams. Structural problems can cost thousands of dollars to repair, so it pays to have a structural engineer take a look at the home if one or more of the floors are sloping.
Find Your Neighborhood
Does it have pet-friendly rentals? What are the crime rates? How are the schools? Get important local information on the area you’re most interested in.
Final Thoughts
Home buying takes plenty of compromise and patience. It’s easy to fall in love with a home at first sight—and if you love a home, chances are everyone else will too. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but just realize that you may be up against some competition. Be prepared to make multiple offers before you find the right home at the right price. Contact Us for a Free consultation. We’ll guide you during the home buying process. We’re specialized in home buying and selling in Southern California. Please Call/Text Faruk at (562) 213-8892 For a FREE Home Valuation.