Buying a home is a very emotional experience, but you need to let your head rule your heart when it comes to the home buying process. Not only do you need to make a purchase that stays within your budget, you need to do some legwork before you sign on the dotted line and you potentially inherit expensive unexpected home repairs.
Your best bet to protecting your home investment here in Erlanger, KY is to follow a proactive process that provides you with all the knowledge that you need to make a wise home purchasing decision.
Test it Out
Make sure that you test everything that you can in the home. This includes opening and closing doors, drawers and windows. See if fans go on. Flip every light switch on and off to make sure that they are operational. Do any of the light switches connect to a power source? This is a flag and could be a fire hazard.
If appliances are included in the purchase price, turn them on and off as well. Test that your comfort systems are working, like your A/C and furnace. If possible, ask to see service records for these to give you an idea of where you are at in their lifespan.
A Property Inspection is Extremely Important
Although things may appear to be great on the surface, there could be all kinds of trouble brewing behind the walls, so to speak in your prospective home. The only way to know for sure is to hire a certified professional to thoroughly inspect your property.
A property inspection can help identify water damage, plumbing leaks, structural damage, pest problems and more. There are certain things that you’ll expect to replace over the years with a home, like a roof, windows and comfort systems, so a property inspection will also help you gauge when you’ll need to attend to these and help you budget accordingly.
Think About Insulation
Your focus when you are house hunting may be on the layout, how many bedrooms a home has and what neighborhood it is in, but your focus should be on something a little more pragmatic. How well is the home insulated?
Insulation is important because it acts as a barrier to keep hot air from escaping in the winter and cold air from escaping in the summer. If your home is poorly insulated, you are going to waste energy and pay higher energy bills, which can be substantial as a homeowner.