Five Key Areas to Pay Attention to When Buying a Home
Looking for a new home can be
exciting and frustrating. You can help alleviate the frustration by
paying close attention to five key areas of the homes you're considering
buying; it may save you money in the long run.
Don Walker is an inspector and
owner of Ace Home Inspections. He says there are five areas in homes
that he frequently reports problems with. They are electrical,
foundation, plumbing, the attic, and landscaping.
Electrical
Walker says sometimes homeowners assume with newer homes that all will work just fine but that's often not the case. "I [inspected] a brand new house -- four years old but the electrical was all done incorrectly," says Walker.
Walker says sometimes homeowners assume with newer homes that all will work just fine but that's often not the case. "I [inspected] a brand new house -- four years old but the electrical was all done incorrectly," says Walker.
Having a complete home
inspection will help to rule out any problems and point out any areas of
concern. However, even as you're browsing homes, buyers can start to
make note of the key areas that Walker mentioned, such as the
foundation.
Foundation
Walker says a four-year-old home he inspected recently was already
showing trouble signs which could result in a costly repair project. "It
was a model home. What [the homeowners] did was plant trees for shade
to make it look really nice, but they planted the wrong trees and
they're going to crack the foundation and it's going to cut the property
value down by $50,000," says Walker.
Walker says in the case of
that home, the trees were causing micro-fractures in the tile in various
locations of the home. "As you walk through the house, 21 feet in and
30 feet deep, there's just too much root invasion and it's going to ruin
their tile," explains Walker.
He says some tell-tale signs
with this home were the minor cracks in the foundation that were causing
a lifting and separation of the foundation. Also, the windows were not
opening and closing properly, "which means the foundation is moving."
However, just because you see
cracks doesn't mean there is a foundation problem. "Most people don't
understand that there are natural cracks in a house. That's why when we
do an inspection report we have to look at it and say 'Okay, this is a
typical crack and this one is an untypical crack,'" says Walker. He says
some cracks may lead to other problems while others won't.
Plumbing
Walker says another big area of concern is the plumbing. It's an area
that you can't always spot as easily but it can create expensive repairs
if plumbing issues go either undetected or are not properly fixed.
"Mold forms underneath sinks when people have a leak and they fix the
pipe but they don't take care of the mold," says Walker.
He says things like caulking
the sink can help prevent mold. "That's my number one thing I always
find -- bad sinks," says Walker.
He says that when you look at
the sink, look behind it and most of the time you will discover a little
crack. "What happens is, when you wash dishes or you wash your hands in
the bathroom or the kitchen, the water gets in that crack and seeps
down. Once the water gets behind the cabinet it's in a perfect position
to create mold," says Walker. The dampness, humidity, and lack of light
can turn that area beneath the sink into a mold-breeding ground.
Attic
"You can tell everything about the house by the attic," says Walker. He
says other areas of the home can be covered up if a repair had
occurred. For instance, if there was a leak and it damaged a wall, with
the right contractors and repairs it can be made to look like new and,
hopefully, function like new. But Walker says the attic is sort of the
eyes to the soul of the home. "In the attic you can tell where all the
damage has been," says Walker.
"If you're in a 20-year-old
house and you see that the insulation is brand new, you know that there
was a water leak because it had to be replaced," says Walker. He adds,
"You can tell if the roof is good because you can look right at the
wood."
Landscaping
"There should not be moisture or plants next to your house," says
Walker. He says there should be a 12 inch barrier between the landscape
and the house. Walker says otherwise you run the risk of having the
foundation crack and affect the home. What happens is, as the landscape
that is too close to the home is watered, the foundation and soil
expand. Then, when no watering occurs, the foundation dries up and
shrinks and this can cause it to crack.
Remember, knowledge is power,
so learning about the home before you close the deal on it will keep you
from making a mistake that may cost you extra out-of-pocket money
later.
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