Buying a house may be a stressful process, and finding problems the day you move in may be a nightmare. If you’re buying new construction, such as Manorwood Estates in Commack New York, you will have little to stress about. New construction generally will not have hidden problems as everything is newly built. Most issues come up with existing homes, and great care must be taken when purchasing a house.
1. Use a Home Inspector with Existing Homes! We can’t stress this enough. While a home inspector can cost several hundred dollars or more, he or she may save you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road. I personally know people who looked at houses, were about to write the deposit check and pulled-out because the inspector uncovered terribly damaged foundations that needed tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, sagging walls that needed structural rebuilding of the house, faulty wiring that present a fire hazard and other problems that are not visible to the naked eye. Even those that are detectable may not show off a red flag to a homeowner, whereas an inspector they can immediately see the danger.
2. Drive by the house at Different Times. We’re not suggesting you sit in front of the home and scare the existing homeowners. Drive by assorted times on different days and look at the neighborhood. Don’t even look at the house. Focus on what is going on around the house. Is this a neighborhood you want to reside in? Are these the people you want to have? They will be there when you move-in, so be sure you think about this before purchasing a home. You may adore the home, but hate the block. If that the case, you may want to search elsewhere.
3. Ask to See the Home Immediately after a Heavy Rain. Monitor the weather reports. If there is a chance of heavy rains on a Tuesday, try to plan a visit on Wednesday evening. The home may seem dry during the open home, but it can be leaky or wet after rain. You don’t want to be surprised to find this on the day you move in.
4. Ask Some Apparent Questions. If all the other houses in the area use natural gas to power in the stove, does this one? If oil heat is common, is this how to use electric? These are big questions to ask that many people may take for granted. Be sure you know the answers.
5. Look at the Landscape. Does the land pitch away from the house? Why does the backyard have a hill that runs down towards the house? Typically, you want property the grades away from the home so that rainwater runs-off from the foundation. If the property is graded towards the home, that run-off water may float to your foundation, which may cause foundation problems, leaks and floods.
This is the biggest purchase many people will ever make. Make sure that you’ve asked all the questions, open all the doors, search behind the pictures and, yes, even behind posters on the walls, to make sure everything is what you expect. In one home we found, a movie poster covered in 16 inch hole in the wall!
With new construction – particularly new developments – you typically do not have these issues. Nonetheless, you should look at these things carefully to avoid surprises down the road.
Tips by Craig Axelrod, from Emmy Homes. Emmy is one of LI’s premier home developers. Emmy’s Commack real estate features luxury homes in Commack. Visit EmmyHomes.com for information.