New home walkthrough advice?
Debra Ashcraft
contributed "walk through" knowledge when asked. Now that I
need it, I find I haven't saved any of it.
Do any of you have suggestions of what I should look for during
my walk through?
Thanks much,
Debbie
--
---
Debra Ashcraft, Vancouver, WA
deb...@pacifier.com
David Sangster
: I'm soon to buy a new house, and know that some of you have
: contributed "walk through" knowledge when asked. Now that I
: need it, I find I haven't saved any of it.
: Do any of you have suggestions of what I should look for during
: my walk through?
----
Here you go....
HOME INSPECTION GUIDELINES
-------------------------
A compilation of "home inspection lists" culled from misc.consumers.house.
Where possible, I have retained the original author. Anyone want to
make this part of the FAQ?
-David Sangster (dav...@jamdown.corp.hp.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There were a number of things that I wish I had noticed about my
house BEFORE I bought it. The garbage disposal made a jackhammer-like
sound. Our dining room table fits in our dining room such that you
can't sit around it. The previous owner dug hosta plants from around the
tree in the backyard leaving craters behind. I absorbed all of the incon-
venience/expense. I know now that I didn't have to.
This is my first house and I'm sure I'll be wary of THESE PARTICULAR
problems when shopping for a new home but I wonder what I'll miss!?
I would like to compile a checklist for both viewing a house for the
first time and for final inspection. I'm told nothing like this is
yet in the FAQ. If anyone has suggestions please e-mail or post.
Thanks!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I collected some of the postings from the last discussion along these
lines. I haven't really reviewed it properly, and I am not sure I have all
of the credits for the contributers, but what I have follows this message.
N. Dickinson-- ndick...@worldbank.org
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I can tell you from experience that some of the things I neglected in my
walkthrough that became problems were:
1. Operate every plumbing fixure including the air conditioner (evap
cooler), disposal, etc. Let the faucets run for a while to
find leaks. Be sure the a/c runs for a while, and then check the
unit, wherever it's located. The same goes for the heater, even
in the summer. Check for consistent air-flow out of the vents.
2. Check the water pressure on the outside lines. You should have
a good strong consistent flow. Check that turning the water on
in the kitchen sink doesn't totally cut off water to the front
yard.
3. Check to see how well the concrete finishing is done in the
driveway -- corners of the foundation, etc.
4. Make sure that the property doesn't isn't graded such that dirt
is pushed up against the siding. There should be at least a
foot or two of clearance between the ground and any wooden
component of your house, or siding.
5. Look closely at how adhesive or grout was applied to bathroom,
kitchen, and other fixtures. Let the bathroom shower run for
a half hour and check later for water dripping through the story
below.
6. Check the seams of the carpet to make sure they're solid and flush.
7. If you can get the roof inspected (to ward off wind or water
damage) I think it's worth paying someone to do it. My builder
decided that the first winds that removed unsecured shingles was
an act of God -- not their fault.
8. Bring a level for things like Window sills, decks, etc. Complain
about anything that is built at anything other than a horizontal
orientation.
Aside from the obvious visual things, these are my recommendations for anyone
considering purchasing a new home. The more time that goes into the
pre-inspection and inspection, the less hassle you'll have after you move in.
Good luck and congratulations on your new home!
--Tim (fred...@acd.ucar.edu)
Ntl Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80307-1000
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In addition to Tim Frederick's "things to look at":
Check each door-make sure it shuts properly. Open it 6 inches. Make sure it
stays where you open it. (If you can, put some graphite on the hinges
first, so that the doors all open smoothly.) Open the door 1/2 way. See if
it stays. Open it 3/4---you get the idea. If the door is hung correctly,
you shouldn't get any movement.
Make sure weather stripping and thresholds are installed correctly on all
exterior doors.
Inspect brickwork for missing mortar, chips, etc. (Note: pre-construction,
specify proper cement/sand mix for mortar--I've been told 1/3 mix is
proper. Also, visit the site when the bricklayers are just getting started
and make sure they bend the brickstraps up and use them. Otherwise, the
brick walls have no effective attachment to the walls.)
Test ALL outlets and lights. Either bring a circuit tester or a lamp or
radio or something. Test them all.
Take a look at the service panel. All breakers should be marked as to what
they control.
Test all the fans, all speeds, and reverse. Open and close all the windows.
Sometimesthe frames are bent upon installation.Ring the doorbells.
Go into the attic--Check the insulation-- Right kind? Right amount?
Plug a phone into each of the phone jacks. (If your phone co. has turned
the line on) Note::: Our builder noted that they were responsible for the
wiring inside the house. This included the phone lines. GTE charges $85
per HALF HOUR here for a service call. Sure 'nuff, one of our jacks was
non-functioning. The installing electrician came in and fixed the problem
in 5 minutes.
Visually check all guttering if it isn't raining.
Check all seams in formica/countertops.
Run your fingers (carefully) along cabinet edges to check for rough spots.
Check the vinyl flooring for nicks/cuts/scars. Make 'em replace it if it's
messed up.
Check caulking around toilets. Flush all the toilets.
Step inside every closet, face outwards and look up- check for faulty
construction that you might not have otherwise seen.
Make sure the builders rep shows you where the main water cut-off valve on
the outside of the house is.
Before they put down sod, or grass, or whatever, make 'em haul EVERY piece
of construction trash away. Little pieces of mortar and concrete and brick
and rock have a nasty habit of showing back up later.
If you do a final walk-through and then go close, make sure you lock the
house; My next door neighbor lost a toilet tank cover this way---He figures
they needed the cover for a house down the street!I'm certain there are
lots more!!
Basically, think as if you were going to have to fix anything wrong
yourself....Cause you will.Gary-- Gary Meyers
(214)754-4191g...@Edm.Arco.COM
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Speaking of inspections...
I am currently doing my homework on purchasing a house. I am not a first
time buyer, but I think I was a bit naieve the first time around. Fortunately
nothing came back to haunt me! Anyway, the first purchase was a condo which
I now have a sales contract for. I have restrained myself from early house
shopping until I have closed that sale. And after that, I go on a long
vacation. When I return, I will spend the time until the end of this year
recovering from the expense of the vacation:-)
Anyway, back to the point: Last night I went to the bookstore and found a
pretty good book on inspections:
The Complete Book of Home Inspection, 2nd Edition
by Norman Becker, P.E.
TAB Books, Division of McGraw-Hill, Inc.
$12.95 ISBN 0-8306-3785-0
Forgive me if it's already been reviewed here, but I saved off a copy of a
recent (not the very latest) book review FAQ and this wasn't on it. I
haven't
read the whole thing, but from the intro and the other chapters that I have
sampled, it looks like a very good book to read before you go shopping for
a
house. It seems somewhat geared to a buyer who wants to do his own
inspection
(God forbid that I should even consider this!), however reading a book like
this will prepare you to ask all the right questions, and will enable you
to
discuss things intelligently with the inspector that you hire. You might
even
find some things that he doesn't. I like the way the book is structured.
There is an intro that describes the overall methodology that a
professional
home inspector follows, like in which order to inspect things, and the sort
of
tools you'd need. Did you think about taking along a compass to check the
exposure? Then there is one chapter devoted to each of the major
components of
the inspection with a checklist at the end of each. At the end of the
book,
there is a pretty thorough inspection checklist covering all the
components.
Here is the table of Contents:
Exterior Inspection
1 Tools and procedure
2 Roofs
3 Roof mounted structures and projections
4 Paved areas around the structure
5 Walls, windows, and doors
6 Lot and landscaping
7 Garage
8 Wood-destroying insects and rot
Interior Inspection
9 Attic
10 Interior rooms
11 Basement and crawl space
Electromechanicals
12 Electrical system
13 Plumbing
14 Heating systems I
15 Heating systems II
16 Domestic water heaters
17 Air-conditioning
18 Energy considerations
19 Environmental Concerns (** New in the 2nd Edition)
20 Conclusion
Glossary
Inspection worksheets
Index
I especially like that new chapter on environmental concerns as I am
considering
the purchase of an older home. I will be concerned about
lead/asbestos/etc...
I will try to do a review of the book once I am finished reading it.
--
/\ Annette R. Tharpe | "History, despite its wrenching pain,
/__\_____ QA Analyst | Cannot be unlived, and if faced
/ \ | SAS Institute Inc. | With courage, need not be lived again."
| sas...@unx.sas.com | -- Maya Angelou, "A Rock, A River, A
Tree"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Does anyone have a *comprehensive* list of things to look at/inspect
>> when looking at a new house/apartment ?
Over the past 14 years, I've lived in a variety of houses,
mostly rented and one owned. I've seen the evidence of lots
of neglect (in the houses that were rented) and saw the
evidence of poor planning in that purchased house. Although
I've bought only one house in my life (and I'm presently in
the midst of searching for another), I've accumulated a list
of easy-to-find warning signs and general stuff to watch out
for.
This list is obviously incomplete and it should never replace
the advice that a professional inspector can provide.
The house-hunting system that my husband and I use is the
following:
I look at the house initially. If I think it's
reasonable, I return with my husband.
We view the house together. If we both like the layout,
structure, location, price, then we determine that "we're
interested."
If we're interested, we return for a more thorough search.
We don't do this thorough search each time we see a house
because it takes about an hour or 90 minutes and for most houses
that we see, it's just unnecessary (because we're not interested).
So, when we're ready for the thorough tour, we call
the realtor and tell them that we need about 90 minutes
to do a more thorough look-see. We tell them this
so that they can plan accordingly.
This has worked out well for us. Don't be timid about asking
to see the house as many times as you need to in order to
make a decision.
Here's the list that I use. This list is long, be forewarned.
EXTERIOR:
Examine the gutters and down spouts. Is each down spout
connected and are the connections making contact into the
drain? Check out the foundation of the house at the base of
each down spout. Has it been repaired or is there evidence
of added concrete?
Watch several sections of the house for a couple of minutes
each. Watch for bees and wasps. We have a lot of experience
with this because the house we're presently renting has a
wasp/bee problem. You can see them hunting around the dead
wood for cracks and crevices that they'll use to enter into
the wood or to build the hive onto. Wasps like to do this in
our window wells. One house that we are interested in has a
bee problem...you could see them going into a seam in the
front of the house. Knowing this makes making a bid and
doing the inspection a lot easier.
If possible, visit the house during a rainstorm and make sure
that the drains and external drainage systems (down spouts)
work. (You can indicate this to the real-estate agents and
get advanced permission to stop over to look at the OUTSIDE
of the house during the next storm...that way, you won't
waste time during the storm as you try to get permission to
go over and see the house...try to get the okay ahead of time
so that once it rains, you can go to the house.)
Check to be sure that water doesn't well up along the
foundation of the house. Make sure that the dirt/borders
along the house's edge slope away from the house a bit.
If the house has a wooden fence/deck, find out when it was
last weatherproofed. Check the deck and fence for evidence
of wood-eating insect infestation.
Determine if there are any external electrical outlets (this
is good if there are). If there aren't, realize that you
well might have to have one added, particularly if you plan
to mow your lawn with an electric mower.
Turn on the outside faucet. Make sure it works well and that
the concrete directly beneath it is not damaged. (Damaged
concrete might indicate a leaking faucet.)
Sit on the porch and listen to the noise level. Do the same
with the back yard.
Ask for write-ups on specific repairs made to the roof or
furnace (or anything else that is considered to be "major").
Check out the landscaping and determine whether any trees in
the area butt up against the house or whether any branches
come in contact with the house. Trees provide shade, but
they also make it easier for squirrels and other pests to get
onto your roof and drain spouts. Also, if the tree is
infested with termites or carpenter ants, it could be a
threat to the house.
Also check out the landscaping and determine the amount of
maintenance needed for the look you want. If a grass lawn
slopes, realize that keeping it trim is going to be
difficult. Also, erosion might be an issue after some
time...keep this in mind.
Firmly establish which trees/shrubs belong to you and which
belong to the neighbors. See if there's a way to have this
verified officially. I have a friend who was sued by her
neighbors when she had her trees pruned. Apparently, the
trees were not hers, they were the neighbor's but they had
been planted very close to the property line and then had
grown so large that they appeared to be hers. Check out the
property lines and be careful about bordering plants/shrubs.
When you have the termite inspection, ask the agent to check
out the external shrubs, trees, deck, fences.
If there is a storage shed against the house, try to look
between it and the house to be sure that the shed is not
covering any damage to the house.
If anything is stacked up along the side of the house, asked
to have it be removed for an inspection. If the wood was
damp, be careful about wood-eating insects.
From the inside, look out each window (even open them
completely and lean out) to examine the state of the gutters
and down spouts. Will they require yearly cleanings and
leaf-removals? Will they require regular painting or are
they newer?
KITCHEN:
Ask and verify the age of each appliance and get copies of
any warranty information/papers. Make absolutely certain
that the appliances that appear in the house are part of the
closing agreement. Get this in writing. I'm not sure if
this is a state-by-state (or even just a realtor-specific)
requirement, but our current realtor offered us a "disclosure
sheet". This is a form that the owners complete that lists
lots about the house, its condition, and the history of
repairs to things like the roof, foundation, basement, or
furnace. It also lists the fixtures and appliances that are
part of the sell price. ANything that's not listed here will
be negotiable.
If an appliance is not plugged in, plug it in and try it out.
Pay particular attention to over-the-oven exhaust
fans/lights, which tend not to work in a lot of houses. If
the electric is turned off, arrange to have it turned on or
get it in writing that each appliance functions. The latter
option is less desirable because it'll be difficult to get
the owners to cooperate after the deal is closed. It'll be
more of a hassle. Basically, you shouldn't be viewing the
house if the electric is turned off anyway so it's reasonable
to ask to have it turned back on again.
Count the number of grounded sockets in each room...this is
an important consideration particularly in the kitchen and
living room, where you're likely to use large appliances.
Look deeply in kitchen cabinets for evidence of pests. (Mice
pellets, roaches, ants). My sister was house-hunting several
years ago and took a ladder with her. She was looking at old
houses (100-150 years old) so this was helpful for her since
ceilings are high and basements are stoney and tough to
scale. In one house, she found 14 1' long rat traps lined up
along the rafters throughout the basement.
BASEMENT and ATTIC:
Bring a quality flashlight with you and examine the
crawlspace and the basement closely. In the
crawlspace/attic, look for evidence of water damage and pest
infestation. One house that we looked at recently had a
2'x3' dried-grass nest in its attic. (It was probably a
squirrel nest, squirrels being very common in this area
(Squirrel Hill, an urban neighborhood in Pittsburgh).)
Be careful, though, that the owners realize that you'll be
investigating the crawl space. If the space looks unsafe,
don't go in but try to get as much of a look as you can.
Bring the tallest member of your family with you into the
third floor, if it's finished (or attic, if it's unfinished).
Many attics in my neighborhood have been very nicely
converted to usable third floor rooms. Some of these rooms,
however, are oddly shaped. I happen to like this, but I'm
only 5'6...for anyone over 6', some of these rooms would be
unusable.
Use the flashlight to check the baseboards throughout the
entire basement. If you find shreds of wood on the floor,
determine the source. (If you see no evidence of recently
drilled holes, you might consider that wood-eating insects
are present and point this area out to the pest inspector
that you hire.)
Check the interior basement walls for white fuzzy stuff
growing (evidence of moisture).
Visit the house after a rainstorm, check out the basement.
Check out peeling paint on the basement walls. If you find a
wall that's damp, check the corresponding external downspout
to be sure that it's in alignment. Remember that just
because the floor appears to be dry is not an indication that
the house is free of water damage. The walls might get wet
(but are not badly damaged enough to allow the water to run
in).
If the floor is wet, find the source...is it a door that is
badly sealed at its base or is it coming in through the wall?
If the house will come without a washer and dryer, check out
the set up of the previous owners. We own a gas dryer. If
the owners used an electric one, it means having a gas outlet
installed, which costs about $100-150. If the gas hookup is
already in place, this is a plus, even if you don't plan to
use it (for eventual resale or if you switch to a gas dryer,
you're saving money).
Check the wiring: fuse boxes indicate older wiring, circuit
breakers indicate newer wiring. If circuit breakers are
present, open the box and verify that each floor is covered.
Sometimes, fuse boxes govern some parts of the house and
circuit breakers govern other parts.
Find out the age of the furnace and when it was last
maintenanced.
Termites leave tunnelling marks in the wood and often leave
long lines of drippings hanging from the wood. When they
swarm (in the Spring, usually), their wings often fall off.
Check the window sills and floor boards for discarded wings.
(I've lived in two houses and one apartment that was termite
infested and saw the wings, although at the time, I had no
idea that they were termite wings. They're easy to
miss...the wings are transparent but they do catch the light
in just the right way making it a little easy to find them.
Use a flashlight although a home-owner who is trying to hide
this will probably have removed any such evidence already.)
Check the type of water piping that is used in the basement.
I believe that plastic piping is optimal (read about this,
though, since I'm not completely sure...).
Check out the wiring in the basement that wires have not been
patched with electrical tape. Evidence of raw wires or
patched wires are cause for concern.
PAINT:
Go to the first floor, right beneath the bathroom and look at
the ceiling. Check for evidence of repaired plaster or other
water damage. This will indicate whether the plumbing has
broken down in the second-floor bathroom. Do the same for
third floor bathrooms (or any other bathrooms in the house).
Go to the basement and check out the ceiling if you have a
first floor bathroom.
Check for lead painting. Someone indicated (on this
newsgroup?) that there's a way to determine, based on the way
the paint cracks, whether lead-based paint is present. I'm
not sure of this (and can't provide any more information
about it, sorry).
Find out when the house's exterior was painted. Get the
brand and type of paint (even the specific color, if
possible, in case you have to touch up). If it was painted
recently, look very closely the wood beneath the paint.
Realtors often suggest to owners to pay for qa quick exterior
coat of paint to "spruce up" the house. Usually, the owners
go with a single and go with cheap paint. That translates to
a couple of years, at best, before the wood will begin
suffering from exposure to the elements.
Some houses (this is common in Pittsburgh) feature
painted-over wood work and door/light/electrical fixtures.
It's a major pain in the butt to have to remove the paint.
If you're planning on stripping the paint, find out whether
the present owners painted over the fixtures or whether they
were like that for a longer time. (If there's only one or
two coats of paint, your job will be eaiser...if there are
several coats of paint, your job is made more difficult and
you might be running into the lead paint thing again).
See if you can determine whether wall paper in the house was
ever painted over.
If wall paper exists in the bathroom or kitchen, see if you
can determine the state of the wall beneath it. Run your
hands along the wall and feel for bumps/lumps.
WINDOWS:
Open and close each window several times to make sure that
the sash cords function. This is important with older
windows. Also, it's popular here in Pittsburgh to paint
windows without first removing them from the wells. You get
a LOT of paint-closed windows this way and you not only ruin
the paint job in breaking the seal, but you'll probably hurt
your back as well when you try to open the window...breaking
the seal is tedious work if you don't do it properly. The
people that we rent from presently did this to each and every
window in the ENTIRE house. They came in one day and began
painting and they just didn't stop. They had paint fever.
They painted the doors and windows closed. Three windows
remain paint-sealed and one door barely closes now (they
applied three layers of paint and this door was tight to
begin with).
If any external steps were painted, be certain that external
paint was used. This sounds really ridiculous, but, again,
the people that we're renting from now did NOT use external
paint, believe it or not, on a set of external steps. The
result is that the steps are not able to be used in wet or
snowy weather (they're amazingly treacherous...as slippery as
ice).
Check to be sure that adding/removing storm windows is easy
and will not require external assistance. I once lived in a
rented house where I had to hire people to remove the 2nd and
3rd floor windows in the Spring and to return in the Fall to
put them back up again. This was a bit costly.
Determine which windows face north, which get little sun.
East windows will get a lot of early morning light (this is
an important consideration if you like to sleep in).
West-facing windows might make for a hotter in the afternoon
(good in the winter, bad in the summer).
Make certain that you understand the situation regarding EACH
window fixture (blinds, curtains, and rods). If the fixtures
are going to stay, be absolutely certain that this is
indicated in writing in the closing agreement.
Look out each window into the house next door. Do any of the
windows provide an undesirable view of the house next door or
across the street? What about the bathroom windows? Do they
provide enough privacy...particularly in the summer when you
tend to open the windows anyway?
Glass block windows in the basement are a plus for some
(better security) and a minus for others (less ventilation).
If all but one or two windows are blocked, find out why.
(Was it a matter of the glass block installers not wishing to
mess around with an existing structural problem or was it
because the owners just couldn't afford it...?)
Look in the window wells for dead bugs. The owners probably
removed them if there were any...but it's still worth a try
in case they didn't. The house that we rent right now has
bees and wasps galore. In the summer, they get into the
house through unknown cracks and crevices. We killed and
otherwise removed about 20 wasps this August alone. In the
well of my son's bedroom, which is a favorite entryway of
theirs, there are about 12-15 dead wasps...they got in, got
stuck between the windows and just died. I routinely remove
them, but in the Fall, when the windows are sealed, they're
there until Spring. So, this can be evidence of a bug
problem.
GARAGE:
I know absolutely nothing about garages but assume that you
need to check out the same sorts of things regarding
moisture, gutters, pests, and down spouts. I would also try
driving the car into the garage and back down the drive
again, just to be sure that the turn-around doesn't feel too
tight to you.
Do you have to share the drive-way with anyone? Also, are
the other houses on the street equipped with driveways and
garages? If not, you'll get a lot of people using your drive
as a turn-around spot. I know because on my street, this
happens a lot (I do it too). No one seems to mind, but you
might.
PARKING:
Check out street parking restrictions. Some suburbian
Pittsburghh neighborhoods disallow parking between 3am and
5am. Don't ask me why, they just do.
Where's the nearest fire hydrant? Do people on the street
expect to be able to park in the space that's directly in
front of their house? I know this is crazy, but on my
sister's street, this is the cause of a LOT of feuding.
People just do NOT park in front of another person's house.
When you have company, it's a panic. A friend of mine lived
in a simlar neighborhood...a common thing in Pittsburgh
(elsewhere?) is to reserve a parker on your street with a
chair. Crazy, but it happens all the time. Check this out.
It's annoying and you don't want to live on such a street if
you don't have a garage/drive.
Also apparently in Pittsburgh, there's a rule that states
that no one can park in a driveway, even if the driveway is
your own and you are not blocking the sidewalk. This rule is
not enforced, but it did make the news a few years ago (and I
don't know why this is). Check out such weird parking
restrictions.
Some areas (like those near hospitals or universities or in
other high-traffic areas) are zoned, making it necessary to
have a permit to park in the street. In such situations,
each house usually gets one or two passes, but having
visitors is difficult. I work at a university and parking is
zoned for about a 5-block radius. The zoned area stretches
well into established residential neighborhoods.
Also, find out how close your house is to the next zoned
area. Squirrel Hill, where I live, is walking distance to a
number of universities and hospitals. Parking at these
universities and hospitals is at a premium (costing upwards
of $900/month in some cases). Some people tend to park as
close as they can get to the university/hospital and then
walk. Right now, parking is zoned within about 10 blocks of
the centers. However, at that 11th block, street parking is
at a premium. If you live on a non-zoned street that is
close to a university, you might have trouble with parking.
Check out street cleaning...between April and November,
Pittsburgh streets are cleaned and each block has restricted
parking two days of each week. My street is Mondays and
Tuesdays -- no parking between 8:30am and 2:30pm. On Sunday
and Monday nights, therefore, it can be a bit tough to find
parking.
Check the neighborhood for apartment buildings...tennants
occupy a small space but take up a lot of parking. I lived
in a 20-house courtyard. The courtyard sat way, way back off
the street (68 steps off). Parking in the area was difficult
because each house had at least one car...we competed with
the area residents for parking. Fortunately, everyone was
extremely civilized about it. But it bears checking out,
particularly if you're accustomed to just pulling right up to
your house and unloading your groceries and passengers. This
was rarely the case when I lived in the courtyard.
NEIGHBORHOOD:
Check commercial zoning allowances...where does the
commercial zoning section begin and end? Granted, zoning is
often overridden...in my neighborhood, despite enormous
residential protestations, some business buildings went up in
predominantly residential areas ans subsequently, a LOT of
houses went on the market. Some very large estates are being
sold at a loss to the owner because of the new construction
and expansion of existing properties.
Check school zones and whether the proximity of any schools
will affect you. School zones come accompanied with school
buses, heightened noise, crossing guards, and reduced car
speeds (the latter of which is good, in my opinion).
Find out about the houses in the area -- are any of them
rented or are the owners living in the adjacent houses? This
is an important consideration if, for instance, the houses
are being rented to students and you want more stability wrt
neighbors.
Check the sale prices of houses in your neighborhood...do
this with a 2- or 3-street radius of your house.
Call the police station and ask about safety in the area and
in your block in particular.
Walk up and down the street and count the number of cars that
use "clubs." Granted, this is not a fool-proof indicator
that the street is or is not prone to vandalism, but it gives
you some information. There's one section of my neighborhood
that, for some reason, is repeatedly "hit" for car
vandalism/theft. When you walk down that street, most cars
have clubs now. Other streets have fewer "clubbed" cars.
This indicates something to me
Ask your realtor to provide a list of comparably-priced
houses in your neighborhood. People on the net advised me to
do this and it has really made a difference as we've
considered offers to make on a house. For instance, houses
without garages go for <n> average dollars less. The house
we're considering does not have a garage and we can justify a
lower offering price based on comparable houses that have
sold in the neighborhood.
Find out where the nearest bus stop is located. People
waiting for bus stops often smoke and leave trash behind.
Also, a lot of commuters will drive to a bus stop, park their
car, take the bus, and return for the car in the evening.
Our Port Authority calls this "Park n Ride" and when they
advocate it, they generally provide designated Park n Ride
parking. However, it's given people the idea that this is a
good way to travel and I've seen plenty of people doing it in
my neighborhood.
Can you turn around easily on the street? (Is a 3-point turn
possible/easy?) This is an important consideration if you
don't have a garage or if you get a lot of visitors who will
need to park their car.
GENERAL:
Ask whether the house is currently under any type of
infestation removal plan or if it's been treated within the
last 5 years. The house that we're renting was treated for
bees/wasps two summers ago. Two sets of windows were
treated. The bees/wasps no longer use those windows, they
use other ones. Anyway, as part of the deal, the company
said they'd spray or treat for 20 other types of bugs. The
house, we know, has carpenter ants so we asked them to treat
appropriately. The treatment did the job -- the ants
typically appear in the Spring and ealry Summer. Generally,
sprinkling the stuff (diazanole...spelling?) will keep the
ants away for 2 years, sometimes 3 if you're lucky. Ours was
treated in the summer of 1992 and this year, we saw some dead
carpenter ants, but no live ones in the house this past
Spring. So, if the house was treated recently, you might not
see any bugs running around. You might, however, see them
return next summer, when the treatment runs out. Ask about
recent treatments. Carpenter ants do a LOT of damage and you
really need to get to the source of the problem (the nest) to
effectively treat them. Plus, they're really quite large and
unattractive. Some of the ones that appeared in my house
were as long as 1/2"
Find out how long the house has been on the market and why
the owners are moving. Granted, if they're moving because of
a problem with the house itself or the neighborhood, they're
probably not going to admit this...but you can at least try
to establish things.
Ask your inspector to show you the support beam in the house
and to tell you its condition and whether it's the original
beam. Some of the older houses that we've visited had logs
for horizontal and vertical support beams. They're quite
sturdy, but just make sure that they're still in good
condition.
Find out if the owners added or removed any of the interior
walls. Check out the quality of any added walls.
Invest in a good home inspector. Except for Texas, I
believe, no state makes it mandatory for home inspectors to
be licensed. There is, however, a national home inspector's
organization to contact -- members of this organization are
required to have performed at least 1000 home inspections and
are required to follow the organization's guidelines in
inspecting houses. If you want this address, let me know
(send mail to me, b...@sei.cmu.edu).
On each floor, run the water and determine how long it takes
for the hot water to reach the pipes. If it's the case that
the hot water heater is turned off, ask to have it turned on
and come back when it's ready. Some older houses take
FOREVER to get hot water and this is an important
consideration to some people.
Flush each toilet.
Look for water damage inside each closet carefully. Use the
flashlight to check the ceiling and floor.
Make absolutely certain as to which lighting fixtures remain
with the house. The first house that I bought was TOTALLY
stripped of all lighting fixtures and bulbs, right down to
the oven and fridge bulbs.
If there's wall-to-wall carpeting, ask about the floor
beneath. Sometimes, you can find a corner of the carpet to
take up and examine the floor yourself. If no such corner
exists, you're kind of at the mercy of the owners!
If a light has a cord that's too short to reach, get a chair
or ladder and make sure that it works. My sister bought a
house and the realtor said that this one fixture worked but
that it's chain had just broken off. The stub of the chain
hung down...and my sister believed the agent. She didn't
check the light. She bought the house and later had to
rewire that fixture because it did not work. Check out each
fixture.
Discuss the layout with your family. My husband and I have
differing opinions about what's an optimal layout for the
first floor. We're looking at older houses (75-120 years)
and to me, having a big entertainment center in the first
room of the house is ugly, particularly given the age of the
houses that we're interested in. However, he really hates
the notion of having the entertainment stuff be on the second
or third floor. This meant that, perhaps, we would need to
consider a house that has a layout that would allow for a
"parlor" (sitting room) and a separate room for the
entertainment center. Since most older houses tend not to
have this sort of arrangement, it meant a compromise for us.
We decided to go with putting the center in the living room,
but putting it in an enclosed cabinet so that it clashed less
with the style of the house.
At first, when he wanted to talk "layout", I thought it was a
stupid idea. Then, as we discussed it more and more, it was
obvious that this was an important consideration. We had
always rented and the layout wasn't important to him since it
was a temporary situation. In a more permanent (5-n years)
situation, he wanted more say in its design/layout and the
function of each room. It was only then that our differences
in preferences was made obvious. So, discuss room layouts --
not necessarily where you plan to put each piece of
furniture, but more how each of you envisions using each
room.
Check out the monthly electric bills (if the house is
centrally cooled or if the heat is electric). Ask the owners
how often they used the A/C and at what temp they kept the
thermostat.
Call the gas company and find out what the gas bills were for
the current year and the year before. If the house was on
the market for longer than one season, getting current
rates/amounts might not reflect the true heating costs.
Lastly, if additions were made to the house, be certain that
termite barriers were extended to surround the new addition.
Also, check out the disclosure sheet to determine whether the
proper building licenses were obtained. If the addition was
made by an architect, get the name/address/phone number and
keep that information with your records.
Bring a small lamp or radio with you and plug it into each
outlet. I rented a house that had a lot of outlets, but
several rooms, there was at least one nonfunctioning outlet.
Don't know why either. Check each outlet.
DISCLAIMER: This is the list that I use when I'm looking for
a house. The standard set of things apply: You should use
this list at your own risk and realize that your mileage may
vary.
Also, get a professional home inspector to look at the house
(make the approval a contingency in your offer, along with an
approved termite and radon inspection). Be sure to read the
inspector's appraisal. And speaking of appraisals, be sure
to read a copy of the bank's appraisal report. They're
dretailed and you paid for it, so you're entitled to it.
Good luck.
Barbara J. White Carnegie Mellon University
Writer/Editor II Software Engineering Institute, room 4318
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paperwork
Site survey
Owners Manuals for:
- Washer/Dryer
- Refridgerator
- Dishwasher
- Stove
- Hot Water Header
- Furnace
- Fireplace
- Smoke Detectors
- Sprinkler System
- Garbage Disposal
Also for roofing, windows, doors, cabinets, plumbing fixtures,
doorbell, etc?
Covenents Home Owners Association address and phone
Front Yard
Concrete*- Walk/Driveway
Concrete*- Front Stoop
Landscape*
Exterior
Siding (3/8" gap)
Roofing/Flashing
Faucets
Lighting* - porch/garage
Gutters & downspouts
(Splashblocks or extensions)
Leaks, standing water?
Check gutter corners
Masonry*
Side Fences/Gate
House-side gate
Sprinkler System OK
Mailbox
Entry
Floors*
Lighting* - entry light
Windows*
Woodwork*
Doors* (entry, closet)
Walls/Ceiling*
Doorbell
Laundry
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Lighting*
Drier Vent
Woodwork*
Doors*
Walls/Ceiling*
Plumbing*
Garage
Concrete - slab and stoop
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Lighting* - inside garage and outside service door
TV Jack
Extra Outlets
Doors* (garage & service)
No Drainage into garage
Gap between garage doors and driveway
Walls/Ceiling*
Family Room
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets
Lighting*
Windows*
SkyLights
TV Jack
Ceiling Fan Switches/Box
Fireplace*
Floor under Skylights
Marginal (angled) but OK
Masonry*
Woodwork*
Walls/Ceiling*
Bookcases
Breakfast Nook
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets
Lighting*
Windows*
Telephone Jack
Woodwork*
Doors* (sliding, pantry)
Walls/Ceiling*
Cabinets*
Closet*
Back Yard
Concrete - Patio
Breaker Box Marked
Outside Outlet
Gutter over Deck
Rear Fence
Lighting* - outside
Landscape*
Kitchen
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets
Lighting* - area & sink
Windows*
Walls/Ceiling*
Cabinets
Countertops*
Plumbing*
Appliances
Dining Room
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets
Lighting*
Windows*
Bay Window
Woodwork*
Walls/Ceiling*
Living Room
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Windows*
Woodwork*
Walls/Ceiling*
Staircase
Floors*
Lighting*
Woodwork*
Walls/Ceiling*
Bannister/Rail
Bedroom
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Lighting*
Windows*
Woodwork*
Doors*
Smoke Detector
Walls/Ceiling*
Closet*
Bath
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Lighting* - vanity & shower/tub
Bath Fan and Vent - ceiling
Woodwork*
Doors*
Walls/Ceiling*
Cabinets*
Countertops*
Closet (linen)*
Plumbing*
Shower Door (frosted) snug
Shower Level
Tub Level
Tile*
Hallway
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Lighting*
Windows*
Attic Fan Switch/Prewire
Switches are stacked up wall
Woodwork*
Doors*
Walls/Ceiling*
Closet*
Smoke Detectors
Railing
Master Bedroom
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets*
Windows*
Telephone Jack
TV Jack
Ceiling Fan Switches/Box
Woodwork*
Doors*
Walls/Ceiling*
Master Bath
Floors*
Electric Switches/Outlets
Lighting* - vanity, shower, stool and closet
Windows*
Bath Fan and Vent
Woodwork*
Doors*
Walls/Ceiling*
Countertop*
Closet*
Plumbing*
Level Tub/Shower
Shower Door (frosted) snug
Tile*
Basement
Floors*
Lighting* - main & crawl
Windows*
Concrete - foundation
Floor Drain
Sump Pump
Furnace Working OK
Stairs
Bath Rough In
Duct work secure, no leaks
Floor Joists
I Beam/Columns
Plumbing drainage angle
SubFloor - solid, no holes,
Slab - Concrete*
Window Wells Secure
Plumbing pipes
Doors* (basement)
Water Heater (50 gallon)
Smoke Detector
Air Conditioning siphon
Concrete
Crumbling, Pitted
Cracking
(1/8" vertical, 3/16" horizontal, 1/4" garage)
Graded (no standing water on stoops, walks, etc.)
Joint Separation
Electrical Switches and Outlets
Located Correctly
Working (tester)
Smoke Detectors in every bedroom and in hall
Cabinets
Level
Secure
Open/Close Easy
No Gaps
Hardware
Countertops
Level
Secure/Tight
Delamination
Woodwork
Door Trim
Window Trim (stained)
Baseboard
Wall/Ceiling
Square walls, no warp
Good studs
Rounded Corner Bead
Textured Ceiling
Texture consistent
Nail pops/Tape blisters
Paint Coat, Scratched
Doors
Level
Open/Close Easy
Snug -no closed rattle
Scratches, Dings
Lever Doorhandles
Six Panel Doors
Split or warped
Closet
Doors*
Shelving Level and Secure
Landscape
Compacted Berm (6"::5')
Moisture Barrier next to house (fabric)
Windows
Open/close Easy
Caulked/Sealed
Basement may need more
Stained Trim
Plumbing
Hot/cold
No Leaks
Toilet/sink secure, free of chips, cracks, etc.
Faucet Drips
No "Water Hammer"
Shower heads high enough?
Tile
No Chips, cracks, crumbling grout
No loose, uneven tiles
Masonry
No Chips, cracks, crumbling mortar
No loose, uneven bricks
Floor
Squeaks, loose, uneven
Heat Registers in place
Gaps
Fireplace
Sealed glass doors
Flue operation
Gas shutoff
Lighting
Switch /Light location(s)
Glass condition
Functional, bulbs OK
--
Steve Lanaghen (slan...@kapre.com)
KaPRE Software, Inc.
Boulder, Colorado
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Rose
>I'm soon to buy a new house, and know that some of you have
>contributed "walk through" knowledge when asked. Now that I
>need it, I find I haven't saved any of it.
>
>Do any of you have suggestions of what I should look for during
>my walk through?
If it's a NEW home, keep in mind that it is only required to live up
to the terms of the contract. If the contract doesn't say anything
about it having a roof, then the builder has no obligation to provide
a roof. But the contract probably does say the house has to have a CO
and will make reference to "the plan" so the house will have to conform
to the plan and will have to meet building code requirements which
probably do require a roof. But you may still find startling omissions
simply because of things that were not specified in the contract.
New houses almost always have some work left unfinished at closing
time, with only a promise from the builder to fix them later. If you
have some money in escrow, you will have some assurance of getting
those items fixed. If not, and if time is not of the essence, then
you should nitpick at everything unless you have good reason to trust
the builder to keep his word.
A couple items from my own experience:
1. Be sure hardwood floors are sparkling clean. There are two reasons
for this. First, cleaning floors is hard work that you don't want
to have to do yourself on moving day, especially after your
furniture has been delivered. Second, you can get a better look
at the floor. The builder cleaned up our floors after the
walkthrough and it was then that we realized how scratched and
banged up they were.
2. Look out for water. Make sure it's everywhere it should be and not
anywhere it shouldn't be. Even the tiniest leak should be fixed
before you close. You would think controlling water within a house
should be an easy matter but it's not. Water problems can sometimes
baffle "experts" for years.
--
Ray Rose
Len Reed
[Lots deleted.]
One other thing. The builder's representative will try to pacify you and
will roll his eyes and will try to do everything possible to speed the
process. He'll try to make you think you're being unreasonably picky.
He'll try to slough over minor nits rather than putting them on the
official list.
You're spending his time; he'd rather get on to something else. More important,
he can only win if you miss something. (Just because you've checked the
electrical outlets in 6 rooms doesn't mean that the 7th room is good.) This
should take a long time: don't let them rush you.
