When buying a home, you and your family have a lot of decisions to make. Do we want one story or two? How far from work are we willing to live? Fixer upper or turnkey? Pool or no pool? Special amenities? The list goes on.
Speaking of lists, to make keeping track of all these decisions easier, we’ve made a house hunting checklist to help you remember all the important details to look out for while shopping for the right fit. (And if you're looking for a home, Orchard can help with personalized recommendations.) Following this checklist will make comparing homes after touring them simpler and will help ensure no important considerations or amenities slip through the cracks.
You can download the checklist and print it for yourself to bring along with you when you’re house hunting, rating each aspect of the houses you’re viewing as you go:
You can download the checklist by clicking here or by clicking the checklist itself.
In addition to this printable house hunting checklist, we’ve compiled a list of things to keep in mind as you tour homes. Read our list below of what to look out for when home buying, particularly if you're looking to buy your first home.
Loving how the interior of your home looks is so important when searching for a home. It’s important, however, to remember that you can make a lot of cosmetic changes to your home quite easily. Before making an offer on a home you love the look of, keep an eye out for these serious interior issues that may arise and can be harder and more expensive to fix.
This one’s a biggie, so let’s start here. If you come across a home with extra rooms (like an additional half bathroom) that the home wasn’t advertised as having, it may seem like you’ve scored big time. You’ll want to pause here.
If you come across any extra space in the home, you need to make sure that the addition was built with all proper permits in place. Not only can unpermitted construction projects be unsafe, but the city can fine you if they find out about it. You could find yourself saddled with extra costs to either get the work permitted or in some cases even remove the addition.
Home additions can be hard to spot, but some common additions or signs of additions to look out for are converted garages, rooms with lower roof lines than the outside of the home, and guest houses that are freestanding.
Warped floors, watermarks, and cracks in walls are displeasing to the eye and can be a sign of really big issues in a home. If you find any of these things, do some digging to make sure the issues don’t run deeper. A small hairline crack may not be a big deal (if they aren’t wider than ⅛ of an inch and run vertically), but signs of water damage or termites can be. A warped floor can be caused by water damage or those pesky bugs, so you’ll want to literally watch your step.
Water damage can affect your walls and ceilings too. Check out the walls and ceiling for any bubbling and the baseboards and floors of the home for buckling. Water damage may be difficult and expensive to repair, especially if it’s been neglected for some time, so this is something to take seriously.
As annoying as ugly wallpaper or loose cabinet knobs can be, they are pretty easy to update. Integrated fixtures, and systems like electrical wiring and cooling and heating systems? Not so much. Leaky water heaters and eroded wires can be hard and expensive to fix. If the home comes with appliances, ask about their condition and age.
If you’re going to put an offer on a home, you’ll want to check for big issues relating to integrated fixtures and systems. Turn on the water to see if it comes out clear; if it’s rusty you may need to replace the pipes. Do the lights flicker (a sign of potential electrical wiring issues)? Does the AC make a funny sound (you may need to replace it)? Keep an eye out for any major issues and remember that you can worry about painting or swapping out blinds later.
When touring a home, take a deep breath. What do you smell? Musty smells can be a sign of mildew and an odor similar to wet socks can come from mold. Both mold and mildew can harm your health just as much as your wallet. Lingering cigarette and pet smells may not be as dangerous as mold or mildew, but it can be difficult and expensive to remove them. If a home you’re touring is using a lot of candles or diffusers, they may be trying to hide a less than desirable smell from home buyers.
