Sometimes the desire to find a new home makes a person blind and some important details are neglected, which can become a problem in the short or medium term. Therefore, when you are looking for a house, you should make sure to keep certain tips in mind. In this article, we’ve compiled some essential things to consider when visiting a house.
How to Evaluate the Neighborhood?
The first thing to do is to assess the environment in which the house is located: if there is noise from construction, traffic, if there are bars or discos that can disturb at night; if you have all kinds of services nearby or if to make the basic purchase you have to take the car. We recommend that you take a walk to determine the distances first hand.
What Can the Front of the Community Building Tell Me?
Another aspect to consider is the facade. It can provide a lot of information about the type of community: whether the building is well-maintained or if it could use some renovation. As you look at the facade, also look at the orientation of the building (where the sun rises and sets will tell you which rooms are hotter/cooler and at what time).
Ask for the Quality Report
Once inside the house, it is necessary to analyze in detail if the quality report that the administrator or the owner has provided (it is important to ask for it before) corresponds to what you see. If not, you can always try to negotiate the price down.
How is the Space Distributed?
An essential aspect during the visit is to observe the distribution of the rooms: if it corresponds to the needs, if it is comfortable and attractive or if, if not, it is easy to change.
Some things are not visible to the naked eye, such as the difference between load-bearing walls and partitions. You need to pay attention to all the details, no matter how small: finishes, location of doors, partitions and load-bearing walls, etc. If you think that a wall may prevent the desired distribution, you can hit it with the joints to see if it is load-bearing or not and if it can be removed.
Do Not Neglect Ceilings, Ventilation, Lighting and Heating
Ceilings, ventilation in bathrooms and kitchen, radiators, lighting, tiling, color of toilets and floors, electrical and gas installation must be well observed. Any damage or malfunction can lead to major expenses later on.
Use Your Senses, What Does the Smell Tell You?
Pay attention to possible odors, especially in light-colored patios, and look carefully at the moisture stains on the walls and ceilings. At this point, take a close look at window frames and the inside of built-in cabinets.
Pay Attention to the Noise Level
Noise is one of the biggest problems in neighboring communities, so it’s very important to listen carefully to the noise that may be occurring inside the house (from gas heaters, air conditioners, faucets, doors, etc.). If you have the courage to ask a neighbor in the building, he or she can give you information that the owner has not disclosed: the hours of loading and unloading, a particularly noisy cafeteria, a couple that tends to argue on the second floor.
Additional Tip: Bring a Small Kit
To make the most of the visit and ensure that nothing is missed, every home researcher should take a series of essentials with them.
First, a notebook to record details and ideas that may be forgotten later. Also, don’t forget the meter, as there may be differences between what it shows on the plans and the reality.
In addition, in order not to leave anything in the inkwell, it is convenient to take a flashlight for those hidden and unlit corners where there may be breaks or moisture. Of course, a camera will be very useful to photograph the pieces and details that caught our attention. Currently, almost all smartphones offer this feature, but you never know when they will fail you.
Do you have any other tips? Share them with us in the comments below.
