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Guest Post:  Things Often Overlooked by First-Time Homebuyers

Guest Post: Things Often Overlooked by First-Time Homebuyers

Spring is here, and with the warmer weather comes an increase in folks shopping for a new home.  If you are in the market for a house, whether it’s your first or your fifth, arm yourself with these tips sent to us from Naomi Broderick.  

Buying a home for the first time can be exciting, frustrating, and scary all at the same time. It can become extremely easy to get lost in all of the technicalities of purchasing a home – so much so that many people tend to overlook some major aspects of the home that they are about to purchase. 

When purchasing a home for the first time, you are likely to consider aspects about it such as the age of the house, school districts, required landscaping, and location. While these, among many others, are all important to consider, there are quite a few aspects of a home that often go unnoticed.

Home exterior before photo

History

By history I don’t mean check out whether or not your house may be haunted or if presidents have ever shaken hands there. I’m talking about checking into the history of inspections that the home has undergone, including inspections of wiring, plumbing, and mold. It would also be beneficial for you to know of any large disasters reported.

Dead Space

The more intricate the floor plan, the more dead space there is likely to be. Dead space can be difficult to identify in the relatively short period of time that you have to walk through and examine your potential home. If you can’t see yourself using the space to its full potential, then it is dead space.  Open floor plans generally have less dead space than other types of floor plans

Light Fixtures

Lamps are always an option if you feel that there is not enough light in your home, but if your light fixtures aren’t enough to light the room, it can be extremely aggravating.  You may be able to change out the fixture itself and replace it with one that will offer more light, but there are instances when the actual wiring of the house won’t allow for fixtures to offer more light.  In older homes, inadequate ceiling light is often a problem, so be sure to look up as you inspect the home.

Windows and Doors

Just because there are windows and doors in your potential new home doesn’t mean that they are going to open properly. Check for air leaks and the overall efficiency of the windows and doors, because not only will that have an effect on your power bills, but not being able to open them properly could end up being a safety problem.

front entry remodel

Transitions from Day to Night

Visit your potential new home at different times of the day and in different weather. It’s amazing what a difference checking out a place in different light can make. Windows that provide lots of daylight often provide full visual access into the home at night. Visiting the home on a rainy day can also point out leaks and other faults in the overall construction of the house.

Restrictive HOA Codes

Homeowners associations (HOAs) can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Answering to a homeowners association may prove to be beneficial when it comes to living in a well-kept community and dealing with neighbors, but you want to make sure that you can live within the rules that the association sets forth. Not following the codes of the homeowners association can leave you with steep fines on top of your association dues.

Make sure you look into the more subtle aspects of the house you are considering, and you will be more likely to make the best choice for your new home.

Naomi Broderick is a professional writer who’s secure in her abilities and even more confident in her parenting. When she’s not juggling her three children in the front yard she writes for ProtectYourHome.com, a leader in home security systems.

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