Fourteen Things To Look For When You View A House

Fourteen Things To Look For When You View A House

When you're looking for a home to buy in Nanaimo odds are that you may look at several in one day, not to mention the open houses that you visit on the weekends.

While it is important to see what's on the market, the problem with looking at a lot of houses for sale in this market is that eventually they all start to look the same . . . and you accidentally confuse the features of one house for another.

That's why it's handy to make notes of each house you visit, listing what you liked about the house and what you didn't like.

Here are some of the top items that should be on your home viewing checklist:

The Area

Neighborhoods - location of shopping, schools, churches and recreation

Cell phone coverage - does you phone work inside of the house that you want to live in?

Strata fees, if any

Inside the house

Floors, windows and ceilings - are these in good condition or will they need to be replaced soon?

Walls - are there any cracks or stains, and are you happy with the color?

Bathrooms and kitchen - look for any signs of moisture that could indicate the presence of mold

Rooms - will the room sizes fit your family and your furniture?

Stairs - a creaking staircase might be fine in a ghost movie, but not in the home you're going to buy

Doors - do they close easily or are there signs of the framing being ajar?

Heating, plumbing and electrical - you'll want to hire a professional to inspect these for sure, but check at first glance to see if there are any obvious signs of aging or malfunctioning

Outside the house

Roof - look for sags, discoloration or signs of rot

Foundation, driveway and pool - look for signs of cracking or settlement

Exterior walls or siding - are there signs of chipping, peeling or 'puffing' where the siding is pulling away from the house?

Patio and deck - are these in good condition or will they need updating before next summer arrives?