A Home Inspection Checklist Before Moving into A New Home
The last step before purchasing a house - a home inspection. It's the last opportunity to check if there are any problems with the home before making it your own. However, many people underestimate the importance of this step. The reason is that buyers are often not informed about the whole process and how they should properly inspect the desired property. In this guide, we’ll present a home inspection checklist before moving into a new home. This checklist will help you understand the main things every inspector should examine and how to handle problems that may come to light.
The importance of a home inspection
If you want to minimize the risks of problems appearing after you purchase a home, it’s essential to know why a home inspection is a necessary step. This is the last opportunity to find out if the house has any issues that were not easy to recognize during your previous visits. And if there’s something to fix, you can get a better deal on the house. Also, it’s about the safety of your family – inspections can discover possible mold, radon, carbon monoxide issues, and similar problems.
Get a reliable home inspector
If you’re not experienced with this, you will need a reliable home inspector. Experts know exactly what to look for and will make the job much easier for you. Start by getting a recommendation from your real estate agent, but do some more research to make sure you hire the best one. Ask people you know if they have someone reliable to recommend, too. Check the experience of the person you like, as well as their qualifications. Also, getting someone who has experience in the area is very beneficial. Locals know the common issues and can be more helpful.
Bonus tip: Local professionals are always a better choice, even when the time comes to move into your home. Therefore, hiring someone from the area is the smartest thing to do if you need a smooth Brooklyn-based relocation. Locals know the place better and will ensure a secure and fast move of your household.
Before you hire an inspector
Make sure they provide complete services. Hire a company that can help you with your specific needs – indoor/outdoor inspection, condo, co-op inspection, etc. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to request one of their previous reports. Even though a long/detailed report isn’t necessarily a better choice, you want to get away from those giving vague, short reports.
Home inspectors will ensure you don’t miss any important issues with the house you want to buy.
Prepare the budget
When moving to a new home, you need to make sure your budget is ready. This means you need to plan the expenses on time and include house purchasing, moving, and inspection fees. In general, the average price for a home inspection is about $450. However, these prices vary depending on the location and type of services. Either way, don’t fall for a price that’s too low. Even though everybody tries to save, the safety of your family and the quality of your new home is far more critical. That's why it’s always better to stay away from offers that are too good to be true. And finally, be sure to prepare some money for additional inspections if an issue appears and the inspectors need to check certain things in detail.
A house purchase can be costly, so make sure you do it right.
Know what goes into inspection
It's always good to know the aspects of a home that every inspector should check. The more items from the list you can access, the better the review will be and your mind more peaceful. A common home inspection checklist should include:
- Foundation and roof
- Attic and basement
- Walls and ceilings
- Heating and air conditioning
- Plumbing system – faucets, water heater, and other fixtures
- Doors and windows
- Flooring
- Stairs/steps/handrails
- Garage
- Electrical system – panel, outlets, and switches
- Exterior and interior paint
To check everything from the list, your inspector will need a couple of hours. Therefore, plan your schedule according to the home inspection day. Buyers should also attend this to ensure they get the information as soon as possible and on the spot.
A professional inspector should give you all the details about your house’s true condition.
Be objective
It is necessary to be realistic with the home inspection. This means you can’t expect the inspector to check every little detail of the house. Some things are not included in the inspection services, such as drainage, fireplace/chimney, presence of rodents, internet/TV services, carpeting, etc. However, it’s best to double-check what is included in the services and see if there’s a need to do additional check-ups.
Also, the process of moving your home depends on your needs and the services a moving company offers. Learn about the type of services you can get, and then choose a company that suits your needs. With U. Santini Moving and Storage, you can get reliable residential moving services and a secure place to store your items until you make sure the new house is ready. Getting a storage unit is quite helpful, as your belongings will be safe until you finish with the home inspection and other procedures of buying a home.
Know what to do if there are issues
Almost every house has minor issues. However, after going through the home inspection checklist before moving into a new home and seeing there are too many problems – ensure you make the right decision. Depending on the type of problems, estimate the costs and negotiate the price of the house with the seller. However, it’s possible to find more serious issues that can drive you away from the purchase. In that case, it’s better to continue the search and find a home that will not cause you as many problems. This is a family home we’re talking about - it needs to be a secure place for your loved ones rather than a headache.
Photos used:
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