Before You Sign…

Before you sign the dotted line, you need to understand everything about the house you’re wanting to buy, so you can make informed decisions. You need to know if the house you’re looking at is worth your money and time, and inevitably every house is going to cost you both. The best way to understand the current condition of the house is to have a professional home inspection performed by a licensed professional home inspector from Upright Professional Inspections. This guide will continue under the assumption you have gotten a professional home inspection and have been given the report.

Don’t Panic!

The most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to panic. You don’t have to rush to fix everything. The house doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, a perfect house doesn’t exist. Being a good homeowner isn’t about doing everything immediately; it’s about doing things at the appropriate times, having a plan and a budget, and not making mountains out of mole hills.

Step 1: Become Familiar With Your House, Neighborhood, & City

First thing’s first, you have to become familiar. Familiarize yourself with your new house, your new neighborhood, and your new city. Doing so will help you understand how to accomplish your short-term and long-term goals. If a tree limb falls on your roof, you can compare the price of your neighbor’s roofer with other roofers in the area. You might even decide to repair it yourself.

Become Familiar With Your House

Familiarizing yourself with your new house is easy with an inspection walk-through and report from Upright Professional Inspections. During the walk-through, we prioritize helping you understand the information we have gathered. We walk around the entire house, pointing out the location of key items, such as:

• Electrical Panel and all Sub-Panels
  • If someone’s being shocked, you’ll need to know where the main disconnect switch is located in the electrical panel. If you ever pop a breaker and need to reset it or need to turn off the electricity to a certain area of the house for repairs, you’ll need to know where the main electrical panel and sub panels are located. These locations are found in the “Service Entrance and Panels” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Gas Line Shut-Off Valves
  • The main disconnect for the gas line on any house is located outside the house, on one of the pipes below the meter. It’s located here, because if you ever smell gas and don’t know where it’s coming from, the safest thing for you to do is get everyone out of the house immediately and shut off the gas from outside the house. Code also requires a shut-off valve for each appliance to be located in the same room as the appliance, within 6 feet. So, for instance, many ovens have a shut-off valve located in the kitchen within 6 feet of the oven, typically either behind the appliance or in a cabinet. These locations are found in the “Gas Distribution Systems and Gas Appliances” and the “Ranges, Cooktops, and Ovens” sections of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• GFCI Reset Breakers, Outlets, and Buttons
  • It’s standard practice for the outlets in multiple bathrooms to be wired on the same circuit and protected by a single GFCI device, so you can have a reset for the hall bathroom outlets located in the master bathroom or vice versa. It’s common for all of the outlets in the kitchen to be protected by only two GFCI outlets in the kitchen. It’s also common for bathtubs with jets to have ground-fault protection via an AFCI/GFCI breaker located in the main breaker box. Knowing the location of the GFCI reset breakers, outlets, and buttons will ensure you will always be able to turn the power back on to your outlets and circuits, after the ground-fault has been resolved. These locations are found in the “Branch Circuits, Connected Devices, and Fixtures” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Dryer Exhaust Termination
  • The dryer exhaust termination location is important to know, because there will be lint. If you don’t clean out any clogged lint from the termination, it can cause your dryer to not work properly and even creates a fire hazard. I recommend checking this for lint every time you replace the air filter in your house, every 1-3 months. The location of the dryer exhaust termination can be found in the “Dryer Exhaust Systems” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Well Water Pump and Proximity to Septic Drain Fields
  • The location of your well water pump is essential to know, especially in conjunction with the drain field of any septic system. Code requires drain fields to be a minimum of 100 feet from any wells, to prevent contamination of the water with bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances. It’s also important to know if your well needs to be winterized. Typically, well houses are built around wells, to insulate them, so clean water can flow even during freezing temperatures. The location of the well pump can be found in the “Private Water Wells” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Filter for H.V.A.C. System
  • There are two types of filters for H.V.A.C. systems: standard and media. Your system can either get air from a single location, such as a hallway, or from multiple locations, such as every bedroom. If your system gets air from a single location, a standard filter is used. If it gets air from multiple locations, it can either use a filter at each location or a single media filter at the unit. The location of the H.V.A.C. filter can be found in the “Heating Equipment” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Back-Flow Preventer (Winterizing the Irrigation System)
  • Every sprinkler system is required to have a back-flow preventer, to prevent ground water from flowing back into and contaminating the clean water system of the house. This device, on the exterior of the house, is also where you will winterize the system. Winterizing the system is essential, because it prevents damage to the system during freezing temperatures. The location of the back-flow preventer can be found in the “Landscape Irrigation (Sprinkler) System” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Access Panels
  • The locations of all access panels for the attic and/or crawl spaces are important to know, because these areas are where you can find plumbing lines, H.V.A.C. components, water heaters, ceiling or floor insulation, and more. The location of the access panels can be found in either the “Foundations” or the “Roof Structures and Attics” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Plumbing Cleanouts
  • Every house has a primary clean-out for the plumbing drain line. This located between the house and the city sewer line or the septic tank. The most important reason to know this location is to be able to inform your plumber, if they ever need to clear a clogged drain line. However, it’s also important to keep it in mind when you’re mowing the lawn, because it’s very easy to mow over the top of this clean-out and have to replace the cap. These locations are found in the “Plumbing Supply, Distribution Systems, and Fixtures” section of the inspection report provided by Upright Professional Inspections.
• Switches
  • While you’re becoming familiar with the rest of the house, it’s also important to familiarize yourself with the switches. Some switches you will need to know for your own safety, such as the switches controlling the lights above the stairways, while others are not safety related, they can be a little counterintuitive. For instance some switches will control the power to a single outlet on the wall (typically in older homes designed for the use of lamps). The locations of all switches are not detailed in the report, but an inspector from Upright Professional Inspections will have flipped every switch and determined its function during the inspection. If you have any questions, the time to ask is during the walk-through.

Become Familiar With Your Neighborhood

After you have familiarized yourself with your new home, it’s time to familiarize yourself with your new neighborhood, specifically with the people. I recommend throwing a block party soon after you move in. Grill some hamburgers or sausages and brush off one or two of your favorite stories about yourself. Oh, and have fun!

At the very least, your new neighbors can be a well-spring of knowledge, but they can do and become so much more. Their kids are going to play with your kids. If there is a natural disaster, they’re going to come together to help everyone overcome it. Some could even become your best friends.

Many of your new neighbors will:

• Help Protect You
  • Your neighbors are going to be your first line of defense. They will help keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles. They’ll inform you of any theft or vandalism in the area, so you can be on guard. They’ll help protect your children from strangers offering candy in a van.
• Share The Load
  • Everyone needs help sometimes. Many of your neighbors will be happy to share a cup of the proverbial sugar. They may offer to help you work on projects around your house or in your yard. Maybe they’ll feed your pet, while you’re on vacation. They may even let your child play with theirs, as you run to the store to pick up dinner for the family. If you’re lucky, you’ll have neighbors who will help you.
• Offer Guidance
  • Your neighbors were here first, facing the same problems you’re going to face, first. There could be potential problems that may not be present at the time of your inspection, they could warn you about. When a repair is necessary, at least one of them will have their own favorite plumber, electrician, AC technician, and handy-man they would recommend.

These are just some of ways your neighbors can assist you, but keep in mind, you’re their neighbor too. They are only going to be there for you, as much as you’re willing to be there for them. So, try to apply the golden rule.

“Do unto other’s, as you would have them to unto you.”

This is also the best way to make sure you’re not going to be fined by the HOA. It’s easy to not comply with the rules, when you don’t know what they are. A good neighbor will help you understand what the rules are, before you’re fined.

Become Familiar With Your City

In time, you will learn what your favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants are and which short cuts to take to avoid traffic. The first things you need to learn about your city are the locations of hospitals, schools, government buildings, and home repair stores. I recommend asking your new neighbors their opinion about local hospitals and schools.

• Hospitals
  • You’ll need to know which hospital/ER you will take your loved one in an emergency.
• Schools
  • You’ll need to know where your children will be going to school, so you can pick them up when they’re not feeling well.
• Government Buildings
  • You’ll need to know where you will go to pay your property tax, utilities, and vehicle registration, where to get permits, and where to attend public meetings.
• Grocery Stores
  • You’ll need to know where to buy groceries and clothing.
• Home Improvement Retailer
  • You’ll need to know where to buy all of the tools and supplies for your home maintenance.

Now keep in mind that some parts of STEP 1 should be done immediately, like learning where the main disconnect panel is located and where the closest hospital is located. Other parts are more of a process, like getting to know your neighbors or memorizing the location and function of every switch in the house.

In the following two parts of this guide, I will discuss the importance of creating and organizing documents pertaining to your home, as well as creating a plan for repairs, upgrades, & maintenance.