|
|
13 Extra Costs to be Aware of Before Buying a Home
Whether you're looking to buy your first home, or trading up to a larger one, there are many costs - on top of the purchase price - that you must figure into your calculation of affordability. These extra fees, such as taxes and other additional...
Do You Work From Home? Plan Your Next Home Purchase Accordingly
The flexibility afforded by a “zero-commute” combined with the skyrocketing price of gasoline has strengthened the case for full time teleworking and telecommuting. According to an Environmental Protection Agency (2004) study:
“Americans spend...
For Sale By Owner - Prepare For Success
So you want to sell your home without a real estate agent. Like hundreds of thousands of other homeowners, you've chosen this option because you don't want to pay those large commissions to an agent. Many people who have tried it in the past will...
Is a Solar Home Right for You?
Ste
p 1 - The Energy Audit
If you would like to construct a solar house, you will need to
conduct an energy audit to calculate the total requirements of
your daily energy needs.
Most of the energy that is consumed in your house is...
Looking To Buy HUD Homes?
Buy HUD homes are sometimes the cheapest option available for a common man to own a house. The fact that teachers and police officers could buy HUD homes at 50% off the market value attracts more potential buyers.
Before starting off hunting...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inspecting Your New Home - 17 Areas You Must Inspect Before Taking Possession
Congratulations! You've made your decision; you've chosen your new home and your builder. So what needs to happen next? Once you have a firm contract and you have selected the features that will go into your new home, it is time for the builder to turn your dream into reality.
You will undoubtedly want to visit the building site from time to time during construction to check the progress of your home. Professional builders welcome your participation and enthusiasm; however, for safety reasons you should not enter the actual construction site unless by special appointment-an unauthorized site visit may also contravene the local labour code with respect to construction safety and the builder's liability.
Questions or concerns arising from a site visit or a drive-by should be addressed directly to the builder. The tradespeople on the site each have their own area of expertise and will not be able to discuss your home's progress with you. Nor are they able to make changes without the approval of the builder.
Before you take possession of your new home, the builder will invite you to "walk through" the house to conduct a pre-occupancy inspection. Three to five days before closing is best-when construction is substantially complete but there is still time for the builder to remedy any minor imperfections. Anything that is not to your satisfaction should be noted for a pre-delivery inspection report. Minor items such as scratches and incomplete paint work will be rectified before your move-in day. Other items will be corrected after you are settled.
The following checklist will help you to inspect your new home.
Exterior
- Grading-should be sloping gently away from the house.
- Sod-was it rolled when laid?
- Wood, vinyl or aluminum siding-should be even and nailed securely to the walls.
- Brick-should be evenly laid and clean, with weep holes intact.
- Caulking-check around windows, doors, garage
door, electrical outlets and fixtures.
- Paint and stains-inspect for even coverage and proper colour.
- Trim, shutters, fascia and soffit-must be proper colour, of good quality and securely fastened.
- Shingles-are they clean, of proper colour and with no lifting corners?
- Garage-should feature non-combustible materials on the wall adjoining the house (for instance, gypsum board with sealed joints); the garage door should open and close properly.
Interior
- Basement-should be clean; no cracks in the walls; a floor drain in the lowest part; "healthy" looking wooden joists (a minimum of splitting); instructions and warranty cards for equipment (furnace, heater, HRV, etc.)
- Doors-must be well-fitted and well-hung; secure locks for outside doors and door stops.
- Windows-must open smoothly; lockable.
- Walls-should be smooth and even; no cracks, visible seams or nail-pops; right colour; even paint coverage; no gaps at electrical switches and plugs.
- Floors-minimum of squeaks and "spring"; smooth seams on carpet and other floor covering; even grouting between ceramic tiles.
- Plumbing fixtures-no chips or scratches; faucets operating properly; caulking around counter tops and fixtures.
- Upgrades and options-correct materials and quality; proper installation; right colours.
- General state of cleanliness-no construction debris; clean heating ducts; etc.
You might want to hire a private building inspector or engineer to conduct the inspection for you. Look in the phone book under Building Inspection Services.
About the Author
Visit EquityGazette.com - The Equity Gazette weekly edition of articles about real estate investment and investment property for those interested in real estate investing or even just buying a home.
|
|
|
|
|
Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent ... |
Comprehensive real estate and property listings. Includes information on buying and selling, tips on building, an auction timetable and other helpful ... |
www.realestate.com.au |
  |
Real Estate | Homes for Sale | Houses for Sale | MLS Listings ... |
RealEstate.com provides home listings , homes for sale , REALTORS , house listings , apartment locating services. We have Florida real estate , Texas ... |
www.realestate.com |
  |
REALTOR.com: Real estate listings & homes for sale |
Search for a new home or find mortgage rates, real estate agents, and relocation services throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. |
www.realtor.com |
  |
Real Estate on Yahoo! Real Estate - Homes, Mortgage Rates, School ... |
Yahoo! Real Estate is the most comprehensive place for real estate, housing market information, school reports, local mortgage rates and more! |
realestate.yahoo.com |
  |
Find Your Home Value, House Values and Prices on Yahoo! Real Estate |
Yahoo! Real Estate - Free instant home values and comparable home valuations for millions of houses. Check your home's price or any house value. |
realestate.yahoo.com |
  |
Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses ... |
Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses for sale at Realestate.co.nz. |
www.realestate.co.nz |
  |
Real Estate - Buy, Sell or Rent a Home - New York Times |
Online real estate listings for properties in New York and nationwide. |
www.nytimes.com |
  |
Century 21 Real Estate Agents and Brokers |
Agency with franchised offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Find local offices and agents, ... |
century21.com |
  |
Zillow - Your Edge in Real Estate |
Zillow provides a free Home Valuation Tool for Real Estate enthusiasts. Whether you're an agent, broker, buyer of investment property or first time ... |
www.zillow.com |
  |
STLtoday - Homes |
Real estate agent revels in the boom in downtown St. Louis living ... [more real estate news as seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch] ... |
www.stltoday.com |
  |
Real estate - Boston.com |
Boston Real Estate - Search the Boston Globe and Boston.com for Massachusetts Real Estate, Boston Condos, Land for sale, Vacation Rentals and more. |
www.boston.com |
  |
ABCs of Real Estate |
Real Estate ABCs consumer tips, hints, and resources for home buyers, sellers, and mortgage borrowers. |
www.realestateabc.com |
  |
washingtonpost.com - Washington DC real estate, Maryland real ... |
Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland homes, real estate news and headlines. [Registration required] |
www.washingtonpost.com |
  |
Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation |
Real Estate from Coldwell Banker ®. Buying a home, selling a home, or finding a real estate agent is easy with Coldwell Banker. Find a home, sales associate ... |
www.coldwellbanker.com |
  |
Detroit News Online | Real-Estate |
Sellers around the state have been frustrated with the slow sales patterns of Michigan real estate over the past year or two. But buyers have been enjoying ... |
www.detnews.com |
  |
Newsday.com - Long Island Real Estate for Nassau County and ... |
In a real estate market increasingly defined by niches, ... Real Estate Resources. Search by school district for recent home sales in Nassau and Suffolk ... |
www.newsday.com |
  |
Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au |
Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au. Houses and apartments for sale or rent all over Australia. Thousands of properties in Sydney, ... |
www.domain.com.au |
  |
Luxury real estate news and features - Forbes.com |
Luxury real estate news and features at Forbes.com. Core topics include real estate, mansions, condos, co ops, oceanfront realty, second homes, ... |
www.forbes.com |
  |
Real Estate News - Prices, Mortgages, and Calculators from CNNMoney |
Latest on mortgages, refinancing, & home tips from CNNMoney.com. Calculators for refinancing, mortgage payments and more. |
money.cnn.com |
  |
Los Angeles, California, national and world news, jobs, real ... |
Los Angeles' leading online source for local, state, national, world, entertainment, and sports news. Plus jobs, real estate, cars and shopping information ... |
www.latimes.com |
  |
|