Austin Real Estate Team

Now that you've found the Austin neighborhood you like, time to start evaluating the homes there. Here's a handy checklist you can use as you begin your hunt for that dream home.

• When you first drive up to a house, how appealing is it?
• Does the house fit in with the neighborhood and the other houses?
• Is the landscape a plus or a minus for the house?
• When you reach the entrance does it look good?
• What's the paint look like outside?
• Check the roof, especially under the eaves, for waterstains and rotting wood.
• Do you feel comfortable when you step through the front door?
• Are there any odors such as moldiness, stale air or a (heaven forbid) smell of sewage?
• Realtors like to shepherd homebuyers, but don't allow yourself to be led away from problem areas. Just break away from the realtor and wander around on your own.
• First stop: the kitchen. Turn on the sink faucets and test how long it takes for hot water to arrive. How old are the appliances and are they clean? If they're leaving the refrigerator, look for damage to shelves and veggie drawers. Check for frost in the freezer. Examine the icemaker and look for green ice cubes, a sure sign of tainted water pipes. How much pantry space is there? Are cabinets in good condition with plenty of depth? What are the countertops made from, and is there any damage, especially at the edge and corners? Look at the floor, is it tile or vinyl? Any broken tiles, curling vinyl, or uneven sections of flooring? Look under the sinks for signs of leakage and water damage.
• Bathrooms are next. Flush the toilets. Do the hot water test again. Look at the floors for signs of water damage. Examine the shower tiles for cracks, missing grout and mildew.
• Check the hot water heater registration plate to see how old it is and how many gallons it holds. You'll want to replace a hot water heater that's older than 10 years, or that isn't energy efficient, or doesn't hold enough water for your needs.
• Run the same check on the HVAC system and ask what the capacity is in tons. You can probably tell if the home is a comfortable temperature compared to the outside temperature. If the system is more than 10 years old, it should also be replaced, since that's about the time that most start to break down. Also ask if the homeowner uses a professional heating and air-conditioning service company; you may want to continue using them after you've moved in. Both the water heater and HVAC system can be bargaining points when you make your offer, so keep notes on what you find.
• Inspect the main electrical box, since many older homes (30 years or older) may still have outdated (and sometimes out of code) main junction boxes. It can cost $1,500 to $3,000 to replace old electrical boxes, and they can also be used as a bargaining chip on the price.
• Move on to the bedrooms and try to envision how your furniture will look. Check ceiling heights to be sure your armoires and pier cabinet bedsteads will fit. Bring a 25-foot tape measure and make notes on wall lengths and ceiling heights. It's a good idea to have measured your tallest furniture and have a list with you when you evaluate a home. No sense in buying a low-ceiling home if all your furniture is too tall to fit, unless you plan to buy all new furnishings.
• Closet size is a big factor in home-buying. Most modern homes have walk-in closets, so you should be okay. Older homes, however, may not have walk-ins, but may have a larger number of closets that could compensate for the lack of walk-ins. And, you may have enough space to remodel and add walk-in closets. You can open closets and look, but don't go digging through the homeowner's belongings. They might think you're trying to steal something.
• Check walls for cracks, especially where it joins to the ceilings. Wall cracks are usually a sign of foundation problems. In newer homes most foundations are concrete slabs, so unless the builder was incredibly incompetent, there shouldn't be any cracks. In older homes with pier and beam foundations, sagging walls, cracks and walls that are not in plumb (meaning perfectly vertical) indicates foundation problems. Ask the realtor to find out what kind of foundation the house has, and if it has recently been inspected and/or repaired (in the last five years). If you think there are foundation problems you may want to cross the house off your list, or ask for a serious discount on the price based upon what it will cost to fix the problems.
• The same holds true for floors. Do you get the sensation that you're walking downhill or uphill? Press down hard with your foot as you walk around. Is there give to the floors or squeaking sounds? Likely to be foundation problems or sagging cross-beams under the floors. Hardwood floors are extremely popular nowdays, so if the home you're evaluating has them, carefully examine the seams between planks, and check where they planks meet the walls. Look for uplift or splitting of, and separations between planks, and check for warping. One thing you may want to bring with you is a small, pocket-sized level. You can set it down in the middle of the floor and along the walls to determine if their uneven. Same for walls, especially those that are not vertical.
• Check carpeting for signs of wear. Are carpets clean and have thick pile, or greasy-looking and thin as the hair on a mangy dog. It's another bargaining point on the price.
• If the home has ceiling fans make sure they work, including any lights. Check all the light switches and make sure all wall sockets are grounded.
• Examine all the windows from the inside. Do they have strong latches? Are they painted shut?
• Do the doors leading outside have deadbolts? Sliding glass doors, while convenient, are a chink in the security. Can you afford to replace them with casement doors that have deadbolts and strong frames?
• Now move outside the house and look at the foundation and bricks. Whip out your level again and check brick walls for verticality. Also look at the mortar and see if it's dried out and easily crumbles. Any outside cracks or flaking of foundations? Does grass grow right up the foundation, or are there piles of dirt, dead leaves and other yard debris that might hold moisture and affect the foundation?
• Make a quick inspection of the roof, especially gutters and downspouts. If they're metal, you'll want to replace them with PVC.
• If the home has a patio, check them for cracks and crumbling corners. Also check for levelness. Same for swimming pools; patiently examine the coping around the inside top of the pool for any signs of cracking. Look at the surface apron around the pool and see if there are any signs that the ground might have shifted, causing the larger tiles to either stick up (even a fraction of an inch) or sag. If the pool motor is running (and if it's not, ask that it be turned on) go to each water intake and watch the speed of the water flowing in. It will give you a good indication of how well the filtering system is working. Ask if the system has recently been serviced.
• Trees are not only ornamental, they provide shade to a yard and the house. Examine them for signs of disease such as deep hollows or bark that is crenelated (the edges of each bark cell are higher than the middle). Find out if the trees have been pruned recently, and if they've been watered and fed with tree spikes you hammer into the ground around the trunk.
• If the home has a garage, check for any cracks in the pad or serious level problems. Also look at the walls of the garage for high water marks, a sure sign that flooding has taken place. If the garage door is automated, test it to be sure it opens smoothly, and that it has a feature that will stop the door if it encounters a solid object (such as the body of a child or pet). If it doesn't have that safety feature, you'll need to replace it.
• Request information about how old the house is, and if it has been recently repainted and re-roofed. Also ask about plumbing and wiring; copper is preferable for both, and if you find it only has PVC plumbing and aluminum wiring, make that a bargaining point.
• Find out if the homeowner has a Seller's Insurance Policy against repair or replacement costs for any appliances, plumbing or electrical problems that might arise after you've made your offer. Find out what is covered and for how long, and if it is repair only, or replacement.
• You are the one who is forking over your hard-earned cash and indebting yourself to buy the home. So, ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS!!! If the answers you get aren't what you expected, or you sense that the homeowner isn't making a full and correct disclosure, run, don't walk, back to your car and go look somewhere else.