Home Hunting Tips
Do you think you have found the perfect home? Hold on and reevaluate; it might not be as perfect as you think.
Six little details can turn an ideal house into a purchase you may regret. Before you make your offer, take into account these six small but surprisingly essential details:
#1: Check Your Cell Reception
Does your future dream home have cell reception? Check your signal when you’re on the property and see if it has dead spots, poor/limited data connections, or flat-out “NO SERVICE” messages. Poor reception is critical if you telecommute or had planned on skipping a landline entirely. While you can try and live on VoIP connections, WiFi, and other options, the hassle of a hole-in-cell coverage can wear on you.
#2: Calculate Your Commute
It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon, and you decide to see how long the drive is from your potential dream home to your office. It doesn’t seem too bad. Now try it during rush hour on a Monday (in bad weather if you can swing it). You might be surprised how school zones, backed-up interstate ramps, new construction, and peak transit schedules extend that commute. These obstacles apply to urban commutes as well. So, even if you don’t drive to work, you’ll want to evaluate the commute in real-world conditions.
#3: Check the Delivery Zone
Did you just now find out that there’s no food delivery to your new address? Don’t assume that just because you’ve seen pizza delivery cars whipping through the neighborhood means they stop there. Restaurant delivery areas vary, so if you can, check out what the local food delivery options are ahead of time. Look up a few places, call them, and verify they deliver to your address.
#4: Do a 24/7 Check
The home may be in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon, but what was it like on Friday night? What kind of traffic is there in the mornings? There may be an excessive number of children playing in the street in the afternoons after school. It is wise to do a drive-by at various times of the day and multiple days of the week to ensure you don’t have surprises pop up.
#5: Give it the Sniff Test
Do you smell sewage, gas, or anything equally unpleasant? Sewage systems in older homes can get clogged or damaged by tree roots. Luckily, some sewer or plumbing companies can send a camera through the pipes to detect any breaks or blockages.
How does it smell outside? Some neighborhoods have distinct odors from nearby farms, landfills, water treatment plants, and industrial parks. It is vital to give it the sniff test inside and out.
#6: Touch EVERYTHING
Buying a house is a big step, possibly one of the biggest, and you need to know how everything works firsthand. Turn on every faucet and light switch, open every window and door, and flush the toilets. Don’t forget to taste the water. There are water treatment options, but water quality is something you will want to know before becoming a homeowner.
Markets can be super competitive, but remember that you’re planning on living in this new house for a considerable time. Perhaps your priorities don’t include these six details, but they might be important to other buyers when you’re ready to sell.
As a realtor, I truly respect the time it takes to find the best home that meets your needs. I diligently do my homework for you to find what you are looking for. Contact me at (928) 308-0101, I’d be happy to show you around homes for sale in the Prescott area.
