Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home (40 page)

Will They Tell You If Itʹs Haunted?

 

If plates fly around your prospective home’s kitchen, a bloodstain reappears nightly on the staircase, or houseguests flee the back bedroom screaming, you want to know about it, right? But don’t expect to see a “haunted” box on any state’s disclosure form. Nevertheless, sellers are, in many states, obligated to disclose things that affect a house’s marketability, which the oddities described above certainly could. Smart sellers would describe exactly what they’ve observed, without drawing conclusions.

 

SEE AN EXPERT

 

Go to the source: Call the inspector directly.
There’s no law saying you have to rely solely on the inspector’s written words. According to California inspector Paul A. Rude, “If you’re seriously thinking about making an offer, call and ask the seller’s inspector for details and for information about his or her background. Better yet, ask the inspector to come back and do a walk-through with you. Many will do this for a reduced fee.”

Inspect This!

 

The largest Hollywood home, according to the
Guinness Book of World Records
, is “The Manor,” in Bel Air, California. Built by (now deceased) TV producer Aaron Spelling, it covers about six acres, has 123 rooms, and includes a gym, bowling alley, tennis court, screening room, pool, and skating rink.

 

CD-ROM

 

Bring along the “First-Look Home Inspection Checklist,” found in the Homebuyer’s Toolkit on the CD-ROM.
A sample is shown below. It details both the easiest and most important issues to look for.

First-Look Home Inspection Checklist

 

Here’s what to look for in your initial house visit, and why it’s important to take a special look at these items. Jot down your findings on the little form that follows.

•
Examine the roof.
If the roofline is sagging, be prepared for foundation problems. Ask how old the roof is. A roof ten years old or older will probably need replacing soon, a $10,000-plus job. Loose, curling, or missing tiles or shingles also indicate a new roof is needed, as do shafts of light in the attic. Complex roofs with lots of gables, intersecting surfaces, and multiple roofing materials are difficult to maintain and expensive to replace.

•
Listen for squeaks when you walk.
Squeaks are caused by loose nails, often loosened by sagging or movement in the structure, which may mean settling problems.

•
Take cues from your feet.
They’ll tell you whether the flooring feels unstable, or the house has started to settle unevenly. As you walk up stairs, make sure the heights feel uniform. And step close to the toilet and tub. If the floor feels soft, leakage may be occurring, possibly caused by the owner’s failure to change the seals on the toilet or caulk the wall tiles.

•
Use your nose.
At worst, fusty odors or your sudden sniffling may mean a mold problem. Other odors, such as cat urine or cigarette smoke, are also a bother to get rid of and reduce the value of the house. (Or maybe you’ll just smell a lot of air freshener, which should make you wonder what’s being covered up.)

•
Turn on the faucets.
What does the water look like? If you see rust particles or discoloration, the pipes may be rusted, and need replacement. What do you hear? Knocking sounds may mean old, leak-prone pipes. Try turning the faucet to its maximum. If the underlying problem turns out to be low water pressure, this is tough to solve—but should be fixed if you plan on enjoying your showers. Also make sure the hot water arrives within a reasonable length of time.

•
Open windows and doors.
If you can’t do so easily, that too may be a repair issue.

•
Look for signs of water damage.
Look for stains or puddles on the ceiling, around the window frames, by the water heater, under the sink, and all over the floor of the basement, if there is one. Not only are these repairs costly, but because of scares over toxic mold, they can make a house expensive to insure.

•
Find the electrical panel.
Is it an old style one, small, and with fuses rather than circuit breakers? That’s a several thousand dollar upgrade. If you suspect old wiring, look at the plugs near the bathroom and kitchen sinks. If they’ve been modernized at all, you’ll see special plugs with little rectangular “TEST” and “RESET” buttons (these help protect you from water-related electrocution).

•
Take note of peeling paint.
A paint job is an easy, cosmetic repair—but nevertheless can mean your paying someone several thousand dollars. And peeling paint can be especially problematic if it’s old and lead-based or contains asbestos texturing material.

•
Turn light switches on and off, or try turning on many lights and appliances at once.
If the lights flicker, or the electricity goes, there may be a bad connection or a circuit overload. These aren’t expensive fixes, but are safety priorities.

•
Examine the appliances.
Ask whether the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washer and dryer, and other appliances come with the house. Then look to see whether they add value or will require a trip to the dump. Test to make sure they’re functional; open the refrigerator door, and light the stove’s burners.

•
Ask whether the house has a furnace or air conditioner.
You’d be surprised at how many houses still operate on small units that work in only a few rooms. Ask that the furnace or A/C be turned on.

•
Look for unprofessional repairs or upgrades.
If the house has been in the hands of unqualified do-it-yourselfers, some work may have to be redone.