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Appliances and Condition |
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Is there a checklist available for me to take with me when I look at a home? I am looking for something to help me remember all of the questions such as how old is the furnace - is it high eff. - how old is the air conditioner - how old are the appliances. etc. |
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In Iowa there's a requirement that you be furnished with a 21-item form in which the seller is supposed to disclose any major problems. You will notice that they're not concerned with things like appliacnes.
You will probably be going through the house with a real estate agent, who won't know how old the dishwasher is. Nor should appliances be your main concern; they're relatively minor. Don't worry about the water heater. The big questions are--How old is the roof? Is the electric service adequate? If it's an old house, does it have all copper plumbing? What's the insulation like?
If there is such a checklist, it will be found in one of the "how to buy a home" books available in your public library. But your best information will come from making your purchase offer "subject to a satisfactory report" from a home inspector, someone that you send in to the house within a few days of having your purchase offer accepted. You pay for the inspection, but the contract allows you to back out altogether and get your deposit back if you find the inspector's report unsatisfactory. (Sometimes, instead, the seller agrees to fix problems found, or gives you a credit toward the price.)
If you do hire an inspector, go around with him and her during the inspection. It's a great way to get interesting information
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Edith
Originally published on |
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