Make a Home Buying Checklist, and Check It Twice!
A Home Buying Article Contributed by Stephanie Litaker
Don't Even Think about Buying a Home Without Making a Checklist
You know you want to buy a home, but you don't know where to start. You MUST start with a home buying checklist! You don't buy groceries without a list, so why on earth would you think of spending thousands of dollars without know exactly what you want?
Make a Home Buying Checklist, and Check It Twice!
You can picture what you want, but can you picture the specifics of what you want? Develop a home buying checklist and you eliminate the chance of missing something. But where do I find a home buying checklist? Well, you may not be able to find exactly what you want in a checklist, but you can create one without much trouble.
Where to Start When Creating a Home Buying Checklist
Start with the basics. Remember, this is just a beginning point to help you narrow down your search. You can always add more options if you think of more. But, begin with the obvious things:
-address of the property
-asking price
-age of the home
-average water bill
-average electric bill
-average heating bill
-average property taxes
-condition of the roof
-central air conditioning, yes or no
-any energy-saving features?
-number of bedrooms
-number of bathrooms
-basement, yes or no
-finished basement, yes or no
-garage, attached or unattached
-driveway, paved or not paved
-parking space, is there enough
-lawn, how big
-fireplace
-laundry room
-washer and dryer hook-ups
-condition of appliances
-condition of carpet/flooring
-condition of plumbing, (kitchen, bathroom, anywhere with a sink)
-condition of electrical wiring
-security features in the home
-smoke alarms
Going beyond the Basics with Your Home Buying Checklist
Now that you have the essential factors to consider, it is now time to move on to the neighborhood.
-near work
-near schools
-near shopping
-near expressways
-near public transportation
-near churches
-garbage collection
-traffic volume
-near parks
-neighboring properties - good, bad, ugly?
Obviously the options are limitless when you're thinking of different topics and ideas to include in your home buying checklist, but bottom line - this is one essential tool in the home buying toolbox. Designing a short and uncomplicated checklist for yourself means that you will never have to worry about "did I check the plumbing under the bathroom sink? " after looking at a potential home. You will be able to look back at your home buying checklist and know without a doubt that you did in fact look under the sink and everything was dry and acceptable.
Complete and Ideal Home Buying Checklist for Your Realtor
So you have a checklist ready to go every time you visit a potential property you are interested in purchasing. That's great! But, have you thought of the benefits of having a completed home buying checklist ready to hand to your real estate agent? Take a blank check, fill in all the responses that you would have to see as "correct" if you were to buy that home, and give it to your real estate agent.
With your home buying checklist in hand, your real estate agent can become even more efficient in helping shop for your new home. If they have a physical reference of EXACTLY what you're looking for, that makes the process even more pleasant.
