How to Buy a Home

Inspecting Your Home

When you have found a home you like, We will arrange an inspection. This is an overview of what the inspection covers!

• Check for special taxing districts to be sure you won’t be socked with big assessments in the future.
• Check to see that the access roads and streets are maintained by a municipality (unless they are private which would require a written joint maintenance agreement with neighbors).
• Check restrictive covenants to be sure you can live within the confines of the rules and regulations. If covenants are important to you, look around the neighborhood and see if the homeowners do a good job at enforcing them.
• Have a survey to be sure the home, decks, porches, patios, outbuildings, structures and landscaping are within your legal property lines.
• Check to see that utilities are accessible and easily maintained by utility companies without having to destroy buildings and landscaping within your property lines.
• If serviced by a well, have water tested for potability and test the well output to be sure it falls within acceptable standards. Check the incoming service line and pressure tank for leaks.
• If serviced by a septic system, have the system inspected including the tank, leach field and service line. Be sure there is access for cleaning out the lines. Have the system pumped.
• If serviced by city water, be sure the meter is operating properly and check the service line for leaks.
• If serviced by public sewer, check the service line for leaks, roots and other obstructions.
• If there are any questions or doubts, hire individual experts to do further examinations. (For example, if the foundation is in question, hire a structural engineer.)
• Always get a disclosure statement prior to closing. In this statement sellers must reveal any known defects. Be very cautious if the seller says, "They do not know" or "Are not sure" of certain areas in the home. These areas would require close examination.
• If the home requires repairs, do not allow the seller to have them done. Instead, get your own estimates and plant to have them done on your own. Negotiate either a reduction in price by to cover the repairs or have money put into escrow by the seller. (If sellers do the repairs, they often have them done as quickly and cheaply as possible.)
• Always require a final inspection before closing and after furniture has been moved out. This can help you find concealed damage or damage sellers did while moving out.
• Check what is and isn't included in the price
• How long will items in the house last?