by Zoe Zorka
Photo by Jessica Bryant from Pexels
https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-color-wall-paint-house-photo-1370704/
Buying - or renting - a new home is undeniably an exciting step for families, couples, and bachelors and bachelorettes alike. However, getting caught in the excitement and making some critical mistakes can impact your life in your new home. Aside from having to invest some of your funds and savings in repairs and maintenance, these issues might also represent a significant health hazard. Some checks and tests are essential to ensure the full-functioning of the house and its appliances, and you should never overlook the details below.
Appliances and outlets
If you have found the home of your dreams and it comes with a fridge and dishwasher, congratulations! Less work for you later! However, if these - or other appliances in the property - don’t work correctly, you might end up overpaying for your purchase. Even worse, you might have to pay for them to be removed and replaced.
Outlets and sockets, on the other hand, are present in any home, independently on whether this is furnished or not. However, especially in the case of older properties, if these don’t work, you might have to deal with a faulty electrical system. And this can be pricey! A simple solution is to bring a charging cable with you to check the functioning of each socket.
Check the status of windows and doors.
Of course, it can be not very pleasant to purchase the house and then realize that the bathroom window does not open well. However, if the back door or your room’s window does not close or lock well, you might face a worrying safety issue for you and your home. Repairing a malfunctioning door or window does not take long, and can be done cheaply, yet no new owner would want to leave an open door on the new property when they are not there!
Test the plumbing and check for leaks
Have you fallen for a particular house because of the shiny and spacious bathroom it boasts? That’s excellent! But it would help if you did not forget to test the plumbing before signing the contract.
Just as in the case of the electrical system, discovering leaks or issues in the plumbing system after the purchase might require you to pay for a pricey maintenance service. Ensure to test sinks, toilets, showers, baths, and hoses. But don’t forget to check for leaks that are causing damage through walls or ceiling! Once you have these issues sorted out (if there are any), it would be wise to do regular plumbing maintenance to have these areas checked every so often to ensure that they are still working properly. You can do a search of "plumbers near me" to find experts that can help you when you need it.
Know a little more about the house
This new house might be the place where you are going to raise your children, start a family, or bring to life a successful project. Therefore, it is essential to know as much as possible about previous owners, uses, potential pests, and stories that can determine your experience in the property. Indeed, some accommodations might have seen improper use in the past. You can complete all your checks by asking your real estate agent, previous owners, and conducting a commercial drug testing. While it might seem a little unnecessary at first, we all spend the majority of our day within our four walls, and the surrounding environment can have a substantial impact on our mental and physical health.