What to Find Out About Your New Home Before you Leave/Move

The question of what to find out about your new home before you leave/move will differ depending on if you are buying your new place or just renting it. If you are renting your place you will still have to do your due diligence but it will not be as involved as if you are purchasing a home or apartment. Part of the reason for this is because the bank that will be financing your mortgage will require much more information on the house before they will loan you the money. But it is also because when you purchase a home you are responsible for everything in that home, so the age of the roof, pipes, and the state of the foundation and electricity is more important then if you are simply a renter.

With that said, if you are renting a home or apartment you still want to find out certain information that will ensure that you have the best possible experience in your new place. You don’t want to move in and then find out in a week that the dryer is on the fritz or that the other appliances are old and worn down. All of these things are easy to spot before you move in as long as you know what to find out about your new home before you leave/move.

What to Find Out About Your New Home Before you Leave/Move For Homeowners

Buying a home can be one of the most stressful things that an individual does in their life. Moving comes with its own set of stressors but when you take into account the fact that purchasing a house sort of ties you down for at least 30 years, it can create an enormous amount of stress. There is so much that needs to be done in order to get approved for a loan, and beyond that finding a house in an area that you want to live in can also be difficult.

With that in mind we have compiled a list of what to find out about your new home before you leave/move if you are planning on purchasing a home. We hope that this list will help to focus your search and remove any lingering anxieties you may have about finding a new place to live.

•  Check the roof and make sure that it is not in need of repair or replacement
•  If appliances are included with the house, check them out to see if they will need to be replaced.
•  Be sure to inspect the heating and cooling system and make sure they are in good working condition.
•  When looking at the bathrooms and the kitchen really take a close look at the plumbing. Go under the sink and check out the pipes to see if there are any leaks or mold.
•  Be sure to bring an unclogged nose and really pay attention to any smells. If you smell sewage or gas it could be indicative of a rather large problem.
•  Check out the siding on the house. Does it look like it needs to be replaced? Going along with this, take a look at the paint, both inside and outside of the house.
•  Equally as important as checking the physical structure of the home is checking the yard. Does it look like major yard work needs to be done? Does the driveway need to redone? Or are there fences that need to be replaced?
•  Be sure to turn on every light and every faucet. Make sure that everything in the house is in working order.
•  Have a home inspection done. As much as you can spot on your own, these individuals are trained to do this work and so they will be able to spot any flaws or issues that may arise.
• Beyond the actual property that you will be purchasing, if you have children then you will want to know about the school system that you are moving into. This is an incredibly important thing to know because you don’t want to move into your dream home only to discover that the schools are subpar.
• You should also talk to your potential new neighbors and find out about the neighborhood and what you can expect. Going along with this also check out the crime in the area to make sure that it is safe.

What to Find Out About Your New Home Before you Leave/Move For Renters

Finding a place to rent is usually nowhere near as stressful as finding a home to buy but with that said you still need to know what to find out about your new home before you leave/move from your old. This usually does not entail a tremendous amount of things but there are certain items that you need to take into consideration before signing that lease and committing to a yearlong stay in your new home. With that said you are usually covered under the law if something does happen in your rental that the landlord should cover, but having to deal with all of that can be a tremendous headache.

It is best to go into a rental property with your eyes open and educated about to expect from your new home. Below are some of the things that you should be looking for when you are looking for a place to rent.

•  The exact floor plan and size of each room so that you can make sure that your furniture will fit and so that you can be sure that you have enough space to live.
•  Is the neighborhood that you are moving into safe? You can find this out by checking the crime statistics online.
•  If it is in a gated community, how do you and guests get through the gate? Is there a code, a clicker, or a barcode that will go on your car?
•  Are there any guest spots if it is an apartment complex? Also how many parking spots do you get as a resident?
•  How old are the appliances that are there? If they are old is the landlord planning on replacing them anytime soon?
•  If you should need to have repairs done whom should you contact?
•  Be sure to turn on all of the lights and turn on all of the faucets so that you can make sure that everything is in working order.
•  If you are working with a realtor have them go through their checklist of items to look for and make note of any damage to the property that is already there and anything that needs to be fixed before you move in.
•  Are there only certain days that you can move in?

If you follow the lists above you will be better able to figure out what you should be looking for before you move into your new place. You can also rest assured that you did your homework and so, therefore, have mitigated the chances that you will experience dramatic issues with your new home. While things do happen in life and we have to roll with the punches, as long as you do your best to find the answers to the questions above, you’ll be fine.