The pitfall of buying any preexisting home is that it may have problems or unsavory things in its history you may not know about and discover as a nasty surprise later. As a buyer, you should be extra cautious and do your homework, learning all you can about any house you are truly serious about buying. Listed here are three pieces of home history you should always check before you buy.
Professionally Designed
If a home was designed by a well-regarded professional, like Hartford House, the quality of the materials used and the construction itself are much more likely to be sound for a good long time. Along those same lines, it's also important to check if the home has had any significant structural issues due to construction choices or otherwise. Hopefully any of this will turn up in an inspection, though it's not always easily noticeable or uncovered.
Title History
At times, there's nothing more tangled than the title history of a home - it's why you hire a title company at closing to make sure that the transaction goes smoothly, the old owner completely legally relinquishes their claim to the property and there are no other owners with a legal claim to the home. This is referred to as a clear title. You should always make sure that your home and all associated property has clear title when you buy. Otherwise, someone else, lurking in the history of the home, might have legal ownership as well, which can lead to messy and unnecessary legal fights later.
Major Renovations
You don't just want to check on and know about any significant renovations in the home's history - you also want to ensure that all renovations were completed in a quality manner and with the proper permits. The last thing you want as a new homeowner is for the city or the homeowners association to start citing you for something that was done before you owned the property, because you will then be on the hook for altering or removing the offending structure. This can be anything from a fence to a shed to rocks and trees placed on city right-of-way. So ensure everything was installed with permission and the proper permits, and also that there is no ongoing legal action with the city or a neighbor.
Always check the three things mentioned above that might be in a home's history before the sale is finalized and you become the new owner. This will save you a lot of potential headache if you are unlucky enough to end up with a problem and definitely put your mind at ease as you move and begin to make the home truly yours.
