The first-home checklist nobody gives you
Eleven things to check at a showing that have nothing to do with how the living room looks.
First-time buyers look at finishes. Experienced buyers look at everything the finishes are hiding. Here is the list we give our own clients before their first showing.
Before you go inside
Walk the street at the time of day you would actually come home. Note the traffic, the noise and whether you could park. Look at the building from across the street — roof condition, patched siding, rusted railings and grading that slopes toward the foundation all tell you how the property has been maintained.
Inside the home
Run every faucet and flush every toilet at the same time, and watch the pressure. Turn on the HVAC in both heating and cooling and listen to the start-up. Open and close each window and door fully. Look at the ceiling corners in every room for water staining, and at the baseboards for moisture. Check cell signal in the bedrooms. Open the electrical panel and look for the manufacturer — some recalled panels are still in service.
Then stand still in the middle of the home for a full minute with everything switched off and listen. You will hear the elevator shaft, the HVAC, the road, or nothing. That minute tells you more than the photographs did.
The questions to ask the seller
What are the monthly HOA dues, and what do they cover? Is there a special assessment pending? How old are the roof, the water heater and the HVAC system? What did the property tax bill come to last year, and what is the insurance premium? Who holds the parking space, and is it deeded or assigned?
The documents to ask for
The seller’s property disclosure, the title commitment, a current survey, permit history for any addition, the HOA declaration, budget, reserve study and estoppel letter, and — on new construction — the certificate of occupancy and builder warranty. If a seller hesitates on any of these, that hesitation is the answer.
And the money
Add 2–5% to the purchase price for closing costs, and budget separately for property tax, homeowner’s insurance and HOA dues every month for as long as you own it. Get those figures in writing before you fall in love with a kitchen. A home you can afford on the day you buy it is a home you can still afford in year three.
Want this applied to a specific property?
Send us the listing — ours or anyone else’s — and we will run the numbers and tell you honestly what we think.
