Buying Your New Home? Here are 10 Important Things You Need to Check

Buying a new home is an exciting, life changing experience. However, just like buying a used car, you need to take a closer look at the home before you make a purchase. Here are 10 of the most important things that you need to check before buying a home:

1. Make sure all windows work

Window replacements can be expensive. To make sure that you won’t have to worry about dealing with a window replacement at an inopportune time, make sure that they work before buying a new home.

2. Run the heating and cooling system

A broken heater or a cooling system is a big problem. As such, it is imperative that you make sure that both the heating and cooling systems work.

3. Look under the carpets

Carpets absorb a lot of moisture and they are prime locations to foster mold and mildew growth; mold can make a house unsafe to live in. You cannot always tell whether or not a carpet has suffered mold damage by looking at its surface, so be sure to lift it up and look underneath of it.

4. Check the walls for water damage

Water is the most destructive force that a home can encounter. When water invades parts of a home, it can do so much damage that entire walls will need to be replaced. As such, it is important that you keep an eye out for water stains and corrosion.

5. Open the cabinets

Mold and mildew love to hide inside of cabinets, so be sure to take a good look inside the home’s cabinets.

6. Look for large cracks

Extremely long or wide cracks could signal some serious structural problems. If you see cracks, have a qualified inspector take a look before purchasing the home.

7. Check the electrical panel

Damaged wires and missing connections not only signal electrical problems within a home, but they are also a fire hazard. That is why it is important for you to open the electrical panel and make sure that everything is okay.

8. Make sure that the plumbing works

If your plumbing doesn’t, then you could have a big, expensive problem on your hands. Make sure that your faucets are running and all of your toilets flush with no problem.

9. Inspect the home’s downpipes

You need to make sure that your storm drains work properly, because if they don’t, it could lead to flooding. Storm water soak wells, a critical part of a storm drain system, are very expensive to replace, so pay close attention to these.

1. Be on the lookout for sagging ceilings

A sagging ceiling could signal problems ranging from improperly installed insulation to major water damage. Make sure to look out for this before buying a new home.