Home Inspections

So your contract is ratified.  The best money you can spend is on a good home inspection report.  This way, you have an expert telling you the problem areas to take note of and base your decision of whether to continue in one of the biggest purchases in your lifetime.  You can also use the report as leverage in getting additional purchase subsidies.

I had the privilege of following Steven Boie of A to Z Home Inspections as he went through a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in Gaithersburg.  It was quite insightful and I learned a lot!  Here are just a few tips I learned:

1. If purchasing a condo and you have upstairs or downstairs neighbors, go and introduce yourself. They can tell you if anything major such as a fire or flood has happened in the unit.
2. For condos, contact the HOA or condo association to understand any recent assessments or upcoming capital projects.
3. Always ask where emergency shut offs are: plumbing, gas, etc.
4. Rusty garbage disposal - Pour some vegetable oil into the disposal and let it sit.  Better yet if you do this before a vacation and out of the house.
5. WD40 is NOT for squeaky doors.  They just end up making your carpet black and dirty! (my husband already told me this but he just reaffirmed it!)
6. Good idea to purchase sprinkler covers to prevent accidental flooding.

Be sure to take notes and ask A LOT of questions.  Just like in school, there are NO dumb questions!