Green Real Estate Appraiser

Use this checklist to identify potential problems or your dream property may prove to be a dud, writes Peter Boehm.

There’s no shortage of horror stories about people who have bought a property that looked fine on the outside but which, in fact, hid serious defects.

Major problems and faults can cost property buyers many thousands of dollars to fix (that’s if they’re fixable at all), not to mention the emotional strain of watching your ”successful” purchase turn into a disaster.

So how can you avoid buying a lemon? The rule, as always, is to buy your first home using your head, not your heart.

Inside the dwelling:

Water pressure: Turn on the taps in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Check the pressure and colour of the water and how well it drains.

Damp: Check for stains, water marks and paint damage. Sellers will sometimes paint over damp to hide it, so use your sense of smell.

Cracks in the walls, or doors that stick: These can be signs of subsidence or movement. If the damage is severe, it may indicate a big problem that would cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Sticking windows: If windows don’t open and close properly, the frames may have warped (if they’re wood) or rusted (if they’re metal). New paint jobs can hide both. You can tell if wood is going to rot by pressing it with your finger – if it’s soft, there’s a problem

Read entire article: http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/diy-inspections-how-to-spot-a-lemon-20110513-1ekz3.html

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