Jun 27, 2019
by Property Records
What to look for when shopping for a new home?
While you’re out and about shopping for a new beautiful home, you have to train yourself to be objective and remove any emotional subjectivity.
Beautiful exteriors might be hiding some horrors underneath.
This is prominent with old neighborhoods. But this is something that you need to expect.
Building regulations over time changes. Houses that may look newly renovated outside might have underlying problems.
These tips will help you to know more about the real situation of the house that you are trying to buy and negotiate with the seller to address the issue or completely walk away.
When you see “newly renovated” make sure that permits were issued for those projects. This means that the updates are made legally.
Investigate if there are open permits for projects
Permits generally are required by state and local jurisdictions to ensure that new additions, remodeling jobs and new electric and plumbing work meet building safety codes.
When projects are complete, the inspector from the local county will “close” the permit request meaning that the project has passed all requirements and has met building safety code standard. Buildings with “open” permit means that the inspector hasn’t visited the site to finish the inspection.
Horror comes in when the prior owner did not acquire permits for the bathroom remodel and the new renovations have structural problems. In some cases, the city might ask you to take down the additions and start over again.
If you are looking into a property that has a basement make sure to inspect it thoroughly.
If beams are exposed, check the beams of discolorations. Typically, a wooden beam will show rotting and a steel beam will show corrosion. Be aware of bugs, usually ants and termites are seen together.
Property profile report is your best friend. This will give you the historical data of the house, foreclosure records, if any, and of course lien information about the property.
A Home valuation report would give you the insight about the history of the property that you are trying to buy. Take a look at property profiles that can help you better in negotiating a deal.
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