What should you look for at an open house inspection?

There is an old way saying that you should never judge a book by its book cover, and it is so true for the houses as well. Who would buy a house with just looking at the front door and never walk inside the house? An open inspection provides an excellent opportunity for the first home buyer to flick through the pages, and the following are how to take the full advantage when you are going to one of the open house inspection.

Fully use your sense. Sniff, peer, listen and feel as much as you can. Your nose might pick up a mouldy or musty smell that may mean damp. You also might notice some small hairy or hidden crack that you mean structure issues. That clattering sound when water is running that can also be a sign of serious plumbing problems.

Don’t be distracted by the beautiful bling Anyone can invest money in pretty cushions and lamps to set off the house, but when buying a property, you’re purchasing the sausages not the sizzle, so look past the perfectly presented and lit lounge room to the size, shape and placement in the floorplan of the actual place, and image how you will use it.

Look up the ceiling and wall Look up and checking the wall and ceilings in the rooms. Damp and leakage issue is costly and notoriously hard to fix, and once the rot sets in, it’s there to stay.

Kitchen and bathroom If these two areas aren’t how you would like them to be, are you prepared to live with it or are you going to spend some money to transform them? According to Archicentre, kitchen renovations in Australia have an average cost of $15,000 to $43,000, provided that the kitchen is in good condition and doesn’t need any significant structural renovation. Bathroom & en-suite renovation also cost between $12,000 to $27,000. Check the Archicentre cost guide 2019 for an idea on what you’ll be spending.

Look at your surroundings Who and what are your neighbours? Check out the location at different times of the week and day so you can know whether it is a very busy or quiet street. If you have kids, you might need to check at the local school? What is the local crime rate?

Ask plenty of questions What are the utilities like gas, electricity and water costing the current residents? Does it have fibre optic or NBN internet connection? How is the mobile phone connection signal inside the area? It is also important to ask about previous repairs and renovations; if something goes wrong down the track, it can be useful to have a history.

Pre-purchase building and pest inspection Many houses are bought and sold without building and pest inspections. Home inspectors are trained to find flaws in a home that may cost you a lot to correct down the line.

Before you start looking at homes, please talk to Kevin Poh on 0415820016 to find out how much money you can borrow and which type of loans is suitable for your financial situations.

Disclaimer: Your full financial needs and requirements need to be assessed prior to any offer or acceptance of a loan product. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]