Buying a home is often the biggest purchase someone will make in their lifetime. The process can be long and stressful, but it doesn't have to be if you know what to look for. In this blog post, we will talk about everything when evaluating a home so that you can get an idea of any potential problems before purchasing one. 

->Evaluating a Home: Step 1

Inspect the Exterior First thing's first! Walk around your dream house and take note of anything that looks like an issue (cracked windows, overgrown trees blocking sunlight). You'll need to get inside later on anyway, so don't worry too much about this step.

It's important to look at big structural issues, you'll need to decide if you're comfortable with bigger structural issues. These can detract from the overall value of your home, so it might be good to know about these before making an offer or committing to buying it. If there's any severe foundation damage (cracks in the foundation, sinking), you might want to ask your realtor to look into it.

->Evaluating a Home: Step 2

Check under the House Now, you'll need to get down and dirty for this step. You will want to crawl underneath your house (or make sure someone who can) does so, because there could be any number of issues hiding out in the dark! Things like loose boards or holes in the foundation are what you're looking for- if anything looks like it's caving in or deteriorating, you might want to consider another house.

->Evaluating a Home: Step Three

Look for Mold If the home you are looking at has been on the market for a while and there have been frequent water leaks from rain/ snow/ condensation etc., it may be worth your time to look out for mold as well. The easiest way to do this is by looking for discolored spots on the ceiling, walls, and floors.

Mold is one of the worst things you can find in your home because it is so damaging to your health. Mold can cause all sorts of respiratory problems, which means that if this house has an issue with mold then there may be a bigger problem than just needing some repairs or replacing damaged flooring somewhere down the line!

->Evaluating a Home: Step Four

Test Out Appliances When you're at your dream home with real estate agents or previous owners/ tenants, it's always worth asking if appliances are included in the sale. This will save you time and energy if they are not, because then it's just another thing that needs to be replaced.

->Evaluating a Home: Step Five

Get an Inspection Finally, the most important step! You will want to hire someone reputable (like your real estate agent) who can do some basic testing on the home for mold, asbestos, and roof condition. If you get a clean bill of health from your inspector, then buy with confidence- if not, take the time to renegotiate or explore other options before buying.

Final Notes on Evaluating a Home

Remember: The most important thing when evaluating this house is to be thorough so that you do not waste any time after you purchase. This blog went over the five most important steps that you should take to get an idea of what condition a house is in before buying it. This  is your dream home, so make sure you take the time to check it out thoroughly.

Good luck in finding your dream home- we hope that these tips help! If you have any questions about evaluating homes or buying them in general, feel free to contact us here. Thanks again for reading and have a great day!