Friday, August 29, 2008
Home Pre-Inspection Tips [from the 'Show Me' State]
Home Pre-Inspection Tips http://ozarksfirst.com/media_player.php?media_id=101221
Reported by: Angie Weidinger Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 @10:42pm CST (Springfield, MO) --
It's no secret that there are a lot of homes currently for sale, but what is less obvious is knowing which ones are worth buying. Most people can't afford to hire an inspector for every house they look at, so we found a few pre-inspection tips to help you save some time and narrow down your home options.
"I wanted to buy a home, rent to me was throwing money away," explained first time homebuyer Jennifer Barrett.But, it took awhile for Barrett to figure out which one of those real estate signs pointed to the best investment.
"To find the right one, you have to look at a lot of them and eliminate from there," explained Barrett who has looked at between 20 and 30 homes for sale.
Short of a few must haves like a garage big enough for her SUV, she wasn't always sure what criteria to use in that elimination process.
"I did have a lot of those thoughts," admits Barrett."Just keep your eyes open when you look at a house," suggested home inspector Tony Dixon.Dixon pointed out a few problems for us at one home on Wednesday.
"This is an issue you can see it's here and goes over here," said Dixon as he pointed out a water stain on a house ceiling.Water stains can mean other problems in the house.
"This is where you could get mold, also it could leak on the floor joyce and wood and it could go all the way to the floor and rot it," explained Dixon.Some might try to cover that up. So, he says to be leery of fresh paint on the ceiling or on one wall of the house. Also, look for cracks on the walls. Dixon says they could just be formed by humidity from the bathroom, but if a crack goes all the way down the door of if the wall or door frame is unlevel, there could be bigger issues.
"Sometimes that's termite damage and the area is week and it moves every time you walk on it," he said.Plus, make sure to take a close look at the outside of a home.
"Your gutters not being clean can cause all kinds of problems," said Dixon. "The can drain on the ground and the water sits on the foundation and goes in the crawl space and when you go in there, you'll find water.
"With a little help, Barrett figured out one of the homes she looked at didn't have any of those problems, it had that all important garage and one other dream item that made her realize her house hunt ended at its front door.
"I had always pictured rocking chairs on the front porch and I absolutely love that area," said Barrett.Jennifer Barrett will close on her house Thursday and take advantage of the $7500 tax break offered by the government to first time homebuyers. But before she even made an offer on that house, she had a full inspection.Experts say that's a good use of your money. A certified, insured and trained inspector can see problems most homebuyers would never notice.
Here are a few more pre-inspection tips:
1. Look around the neighborhood. If all of the other homes have new roofs, there might have been hail damage in the area and the house you're looking at might have untreated hail damage, too.
2. Are there a number of homes for sale in the neighborhood? You might wonder why so many people are wanting to leave the area.
3. Take a big sniff of air inside and outside the house. If you smell something unusual, ask about it. If all you can smell is potpourri all over the house, that could be a red flag, too.
4. Watch out for do-it-yourself jobs. It might look okay, but have problems lying underneath, especially in those jobs that include wiring or plumbing.
5. Cracks in the concrete outside the home aren't unusual in Missouri, but if there is major settlement where water is getting underneath that concrete it could cause it to become hollow and dramatically settle.
Reported by: Angie Weidinger Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 @10:42pm CST (Springfield, MO) --
It's no secret that there are a lot of homes currently for sale, but what is less obvious is knowing which ones are worth buying. Most people can't afford to hire an inspector for every house they look at, so we found a few pre-inspection tips to help you save some time and narrow down your home options.
"I wanted to buy a home, rent to me was throwing money away," explained first time homebuyer Jennifer Barrett.But, it took awhile for Barrett to figure out which one of those real estate signs pointed to the best investment.
"To find the right one, you have to look at a lot of them and eliminate from there," explained Barrett who has looked at between 20 and 30 homes for sale.
Short of a few must haves like a garage big enough for her SUV, she wasn't always sure what criteria to use in that elimination process.
"I did have a lot of those thoughts," admits Barrett."Just keep your eyes open when you look at a house," suggested home inspector Tony Dixon.Dixon pointed out a few problems for us at one home on Wednesday.
"This is an issue you can see it's here and goes over here," said Dixon as he pointed out a water stain on a house ceiling.Water stains can mean other problems in the house.
"This is where you could get mold, also it could leak on the floor joyce and wood and it could go all the way to the floor and rot it," explained Dixon.Some might try to cover that up. So, he says to be leery of fresh paint on the ceiling or on one wall of the house. Also, look for cracks on the walls. Dixon says they could just be formed by humidity from the bathroom, but if a crack goes all the way down the door of if the wall or door frame is unlevel, there could be bigger issues.
"Sometimes that's termite damage and the area is week and it moves every time you walk on it," he said.Plus, make sure to take a close look at the outside of a home.
"Your gutters not being clean can cause all kinds of problems," said Dixon. "The can drain on the ground and the water sits on the foundation and goes in the crawl space and when you go in there, you'll find water.
"With a little help, Barrett figured out one of the homes she looked at didn't have any of those problems, it had that all important garage and one other dream item that made her realize her house hunt ended at its front door.
"I had always pictured rocking chairs on the front porch and I absolutely love that area," said Barrett.Jennifer Barrett will close on her house Thursday and take advantage of the $7500 tax break offered by the government to first time homebuyers. But before she even made an offer on that house, she had a full inspection.Experts say that's a good use of your money. A certified, insured and trained inspector can see problems most homebuyers would never notice.
Here are a few more pre-inspection tips:
1. Look around the neighborhood. If all of the other homes have new roofs, there might have been hail damage in the area and the house you're looking at might have untreated hail damage, too.
2. Are there a number of homes for sale in the neighborhood? You might wonder why so many people are wanting to leave the area.
3. Take a big sniff of air inside and outside the house. If you smell something unusual, ask about it. If all you can smell is potpourri all over the house, that could be a red flag, too.
4. Watch out for do-it-yourself jobs. It might look okay, but have problems lying underneath, especially in those jobs that include wiring or plumbing.
5. Cracks in the concrete outside the home aren't unusual in Missouri, but if there is major settlement where water is getting underneath that concrete it could cause it to become hollow and dramatically settle.
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