If you’re shopping for a new home, you might be feeling flustered. There’s a lot to think about, and it’s hard to tell the true nature of a house just by getting a quick tour. You might judge a home poorly by something that doesn’t matter as much, or you might miss a couple thousand dollar fix-up job that you’d prefer not to deal with. Home sellers will be as honest with you as they can but sometimes there are problems that even they have found yet, and you’d probably prefer not to be the person who has to stumble into a mess. To help you out, here are the do’s and the don'ts of house shopping.
DO Take a Look at the Roof
A problem that won’t be apparent from the pictures of the house is the roof. If a house has a bad roof, a replacement can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $25,000 which is definitely the kind of money that you’d want to avoid having to spend after signing off on the house. Take a few moments to ask about the age of the roof and if there have been any leaks in the recent future. If you’re bold, feel free to check it out with a ladder.
DON’T Worry About the Front Door
There’s bound to be nicks and scrapes on the front door, especially if the family before had a lot of kids running around. Luckily for you, the door isn’t really a problem. They are easy to replace and fairly inexpensive. You might end up replacing the door for a front door with glass anyways. Since the door is the first thing that you see as you walk into the house, try not to put all your eggs into that basket.
DO Take a Whiff as You Walk in
There something very telling about a home’s aroma. To start, house smells are extremely difficult to get rid of. If you’re not a fan of the way that the house smells you need to consider that you’ll be stuck with that scent for months before it wears off (especially if the previous homeowner was a smoker). Smells can also allude to other problems like gas leaks or sewage leaks.
DON’T Look at the Wallpaper
Chances are, there’s going to be at least one room that makes you cringe a little with the wallpaper. But don’t fret because wallpaper is extremely easy to change. With wallpaper, you’re not committing to anything long term. If you end up buying the house, you can run out and get a bucket of paint and do it yourself.
DO Pay Attention to the Temperature
The temperature of a home is pretty important. If the temperature feels too hot or too cold, ask about their heating or cooling system. Make sure that the system is new and that it works well. If they’re hesitant and they reveal that there have been problems, you’ll be looking at a couple thousand dollars to replace all of it.
DON’T Imagine Their Furniture in the Home
A lot of people see the existing furniture and think that’s their only option for how to set up the house. The truth is, there are limitless options for rearranging furniture. Also, remember that their furniture will all be gone by the time you move it, so try to imagine the house without anything in it at all. If you don’t like the style of the furniture of the current homeowner, completely ignore it. It really has nothing to do with the house that you might buy. Your main focus should be the layout of the house and the details that you take a lot more money to fix up.
Your main goal with house shopping is to find a home that fits you and your family’s needs. Try to ignore the aspects of the home that aren’t relative that the things that can be easily changed. Focus on the location of the home and if it has enough room for your family.
