You might want to view dozens of houses before choosing one to buy, and when you view them, you can evaluate their condition. If you are unsure about how to do this, you can use a few simple techniques to learn more about a home's condition. Here are several different techniques to use as you evaluate the homes you view.
Look Underneath the Sinks for Water Damage
The first thing you can do is to look underneath the sinks for signs of water damage. If a home has plumbing issues, you might find them just by looking in these areas. Water that leaks from drainpipes can cause a lot of damage to a house, so you should look in these areas when examining a house. You might also want to test the faucets in all the plumbing fixtures to see the water pressure, condition, and temperature.
Test the House With Your Nose
Secondly, as you walk through a home for sale, you can test it with your nose. Your nose can detect all kinds of smells and odors. If you detect a negative smell in the house, you can try to determine what it is. For example, do you smell mold or mildew? If so, this is a sign of water damage in a house.
Check Outlets With a Phone Charger
Next, you can evaluate a home's condition by testing the electrical system. If you want to do this, bring a phone charger with you to the home viewings. You can easily plug this charger into the wall outlets in the house to see if they work. If you discover that some do not work, there might be a problem with the electrical system in the house.
Examine the Furnace and HVAC Systems
Finally, you can examine the furnace and the other systems in the home to see what they look like. While you might not know a lot about furnaces, looking at one can be revealing. If you see a system that looks old and dirty, it might need some work. If it is spotless, you can be confident that it probably works well.
These are some simple ways to evaluate a home's condition before putting in your offer. You can also request a home inspection on your offer when you write it to learn more about a home before closing on it. You can talk to your real estate agent to learn more about buying a house.
