Buying a home in Massachusetts could be the biggest purchase you make in your lifetime, so you should make certain that what you receive is well worth those hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It is extremely rare for a home to be totally perfect. You should be prepared to spend some money on your new home after purchase. The average amount spent on a new home has been estimated to be roughly $6,000 within the first six months. After purchase, I can guarantee you would rather be picking out samples of paint for your walls and buying new furniture than repairing any issues with your new home.
One of the most key actions you can take is to hire a professional home inspector to perform an inspection on the house. He or she should be a member of an established association with strict requirements to become a member. Examples would be the National Association of Home Inspectors or American Society of Home Inspectors. Home inspectors are there to see things that are not visible such as on the roof, basement, or in the air. Inspectors can also look for signs of insects and termites. The inspector is there to do a general inspections of the whole house and may actually refer you to a specialist for further tests if they see, for example, signs of mold.
Make sure you understand exactly what the inspector is looking for and have them provide a list of what they inspect. There are some inspectors that do not look for certain things and you may need to pay extra for a radon test, for example. The inspection report is not a total guarantee, but will help point out issues that you may not have been aware previously and could be the determining factor of whether you end up actually buying your home.
While a lender may not require certain tests, it is a good idea to pay extra for certain inspections that may or may not be covered by your general inspection such as tests for certain pests, mold, radon, rats, et cetera. Your inspector may provide these services or you may need to get a specialist to check these issues out. Most Massachusetts inspectors for an added price will test for radon.
While you may also receive a disclosure form from a seller, you should not rely on this document. Issues can be forgotten by the seller or not considered a problem. Disclosure issues often occur when a buyer expects the disclosure form to carry more sway than the reality of the situation.
If you are buying a home in Massachusetts, you want to know everything about your future home. This includes not only the condition of the home, but the neighborhood, the housing market, mortgage options, and more. Knowledge really is power in this situation and can help in the negotiation of the price of the home and when dealing with the lender, agents, and the seller. The benefit of all of this knowledge is being able to choose the right house that will suit your needs for years to come.