Buying a home is not an easy thing to do, and this is specially so if you are a senior and cannot make any grave mistakes in your home choice. You cannot just walk in to a house and say “this is great I’ll take it” depending on how it looks at first glance. There are so many things that have to be considered when buying a home. As a senior, you would be benefited by considering professional help when looking into active adult communities. This is not a place where you can cut corners as your home buying experience is a big investment and you do not wish to make a mistake. However, if you don’t want to spend money on a professional, here are a few points to tick off in your home buying checklist when inspecting your prospective home. - Check the Structural Aspects of your Home – This includes everything from the foundation to the walls to even the drainage. Your foundation is extremely important to your entire home. When checking your foundation, look for cracks. Cracks in the foundation are extremely dangerous and this requires the further inspection of the integrity of the entire construction. You really don’t want the entire home falling down around you after a few years! When checking the drainage outside your home, make sure the ground slopes away from the home. This prevents water clogging in specific areas.
- Check your Roof, Walls and Basement – Ok, so this is something you will definitely need outside help with. However, if you still can do it on your own, check for leaks, pests and nearby trees that can cause wet leaves to cause various problems in the future. Your basement walls should be checked for mold and any seepage. Make sure to pay extra attention to areas near plumbing fixtures as these are the first to show signs of any leaks. Check the overall condition of your walls, wood floors, bathroom tiles and carpets.
- Electrical Systems and Plumbing – These are two essential features in your home. If you don’t check these out, you will have loads of problems in the future, not forgetting high utility bills. Check for grounding, the outlets, switches, light fixtures, and the main panel and circuit breakers when checking the electrical side. Make sure your pipes are not leaking and the water pressure of your home is good.
- Home Systems – These are also important parts of the inspection process. Here, you need to check the air conditioner, the heating system, heat pumps, water heaters, chimneys, fireplaces, sprinklers, home humidifiers etc.
- Check the Appliances –Most homes come with in-built appliances. These, most often, are found in the kitchen area. These include stoves, refrigerators, ovens, microwaves and dishwashers. Makes sure they are in good working order. While you are at it, don’t forget to check the smoke alarms too.
Owning a home is a large investment, probably the largest one you’ll make. Therefore, don’t cut corners on this process. If the task of home inspection is too overwhelming for you to handle, hire a professional to do it for you. Although it may be a bit of a costly affair, it will be worth it in the long run. This article is brought to you by ActiveAdultLiving.com®, a website dedicated to providing you information about all your home needs. Visit our Active Adult Living blog for more interesting information on various topics that pertain to your health, home improvement, lifestyle and many more. Author: Lisa LaCount writes articles courtesy of ActiveAdultLiving.com, the most comprehensive source of information on Senior living communities in the web. You will find over 5800 listings of 55+ communities such as Spring Meadow in this web site. Those interested in locating an ideal 55 communities to relocate and settle down can benefit from the AAL website which provides precise and comprehensive information on various communities across USA. Like ActiveAdultLiving Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for alerts and posts on lifestyle, price, type of houses and promotions.
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