What to look for in your potential home’s history
When buying a home, it’s a smart idea to create a list of questions to determine if the house is right for you. For example, will you need to replace the roof? What’s the condition of the foundation? Are there repairs or upgrades the current owners can do before you purchase the property?
These questions are all well and good, but there are more pressing questions you should ask before signing on the dotted line. Is there soil contamination? Will I have to make costly repairs down the line?
The seller may be required to disclose certain information to you, such as if there was a death on the property. Also, any information you find about the property you may have to disclose later should you sell the house.
According to U.S. News & World Report, some things you may want to know about your potential house include:
- History of major construction and work on the property
- Details of previous sales
- Names associated with the address
- Environmental information about the property
- Deaths that occurred on the property
- Fires or gas leaks that have been reported on the property
- Historic photos of the home and neighborhood
Knowing these can help you determine if you’ll have to (or even want to) deal with any existing issues.
You can find the answers to some of these questions through public and historical records. Many of these online resources are free, although some may require a fee. Before you buy a home, let me help you research your home’s history so you can make an informed decision.
Bottom line: You may be surprised by what you’ll find when you dig into your home’s history.
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