1st Time Homeownership Special

The Pre-Purchase Home Check-Up
Buying a home is a lot like falling in love. After endless dating you finally find the special one: you walk in the front door and swoon over the high ceilings, your eyes lock on the refinished hardwood floors, your heart pounds at the updated kitchen and fabulous yard for the kids. You begin to picture yourself cuddled up by the fireplace with your honey, or the holiday traditions you and your family will build in your dream house.

While I totally understand leading with your heart, I am here to tell you that before you take the plunge and say “I do” to the biggest financial commitment of your life you need to use your head too. Love at first sight is fine, but it needs to be followed up by a few repeat visits where you play the role of hard-to-please mother-in-law and check out every nook and cranny of the house to make sure there aren’t any huge unknown big-ticket problems. There’s nothing more painful—emotionally and financially—than to blindly buy a home you fall in love with and later discover it is a financial heartbreak house because of all the repairs and upgrades it needs.

Below is my checklist of what you need to test before you agree to buy a home. And I do mean you. This is the first step that comes before you hire a professional home inspector to take a look at the home’s structural health. And do not take any real estate agent’s word on the condition of the home. Sure, agents are required to disclose any known problems to potential buyers, but the agent might be clueless. It’s also important to remember that agents are typically paid by the seller. Now I know the vast majority of agents are honest, but it is only human nature to have a bias toward helping the person that is going to be writing your commission check.

And please if you are buying a new home do not get snookered into thinking that “new” means perfect. Every new home needs to be inspected too.

SUZE’S HOME INSPECTION CHECK LIST:

• Make sure you constantly crane your neck high and low, to and fro, so you can spot any cracks, leaks or other problem areas that aren’t in your “normal” field of vision.
• Think out-of-season. If you are buying in the summer, turn off the air conditioner and crank up the heating system. The last thing you want is to find out five months after you move in that the heating system is noisy, and inefficient. Reverse your strategy in the winter. It is especially important to run the systems to make sure there aren’t any funky smells you wouldn’t otherwise know about—like cigarette smoke.
• If the home has storm windows for the winter and screens for the summer, make sure you check out both to make sure they are in good shape.
• Move the furniture. If the home is still occupied, you are to lift every dresser away from the wall—and especially the windows—and search under every rug in search of stains, leaks, cracks and god knows what else the homeowner is hoping you might not see. Lazy sellers are also notorious for not moving their furniture when they slap on a fresh coat of paint for an open house; you don’t want the ugly surprise of half-painted rooms when you move in.
• Put appliances to the test. If your purchase includes the laundry and dishwasher, then you should ask for a load to be run. (Bring a few dishes and dirty dishtowels of your own if need be). And make sure you give the garbage disposal a spin. You want to make sure everything works and isn’t too noisy. In the kitchen it’s also a great idea to turn on as many appliances at the same time to see if the electrical system can handle the load. Breaking a circuit during the inspection can save you from breaking your bank account later. Your home inspector will also be able to tell you how recently the electrical system has been upgraded.
• Apply a water torture test. While the dishwasher and washing machine are running, head to the shower and turn on the hot water. How’s the pressure, and the temp? Also check to see that the shower is draining quickly. While you’re in the bathroom flush the toilet to make sure the pressure is good.
• Turn on every light in every room. And bring along a small appliance such as your phone charger, that you can plug into every outlet to make sure there are no dead spots.
• Visit the home at different times of the day (and night) to see if there is a change in street noise.
• If you are looking at an apartment, insist that residents of any other unit you share a wall with turn on their stereo and television so you can test the noise level. I would also (politely) ask if a friend could walk in any apartment above you—with a heavy foot—so you can assess whether you are going to be hearing your neighbor more than you can bear.
• Ring the doorbell, and test the buzzer if there is one. If there is an alarm system, confirm that it works and whether it is just local or hooked up to a central monitoring system.

You should also take the time to make sure that the house is going to be a comfy fit for you:

• Will both your cars really fit into the garage?
• What kind of dog do the neighbors own? If there is an aggressive breed next door and you don’t have fenced backyard, then perhaps that home isn’t the best place for your toddler.
• Get estimates for all ongoing maintenance costs. If this is your first foray into the ‘burbs, make sure you factor in the cost of a gardener if you don’t want to mow the law, or a snow removal service if you don’t shovel. Same with pool and alarm maintenance. Better make sure you can handle all the extra monthly bills.
• If you are buying a condo or coop ask how many times the maintenance has been raised during the past five years, and by how much.

Once you’ve worked your way through this pre-purchase checklist you are ready to be a truly informed buyer. Hopefully there are no major surprises, but you know what I like to say: hope for the best but prepare for the worst. When it comes to home buying that means making sure you understand the true condition of your home before you sign on the dotted line.