It makes sense to want to learn more about a house like pre-purchase building inspection perth when looking for a home before falling in love with it.
You can find potential problems by investing some effort up front to conduct a house history check. For instance, you can check to determine if a property is in a flood plain or if a tax lien is there, both of which could complicate the closing process.
Some searches can only be done online after you’ve submitted an offer, while others can be done while you’re still looking at properties.
1. Begin with the essentials
Start by perusing the home listing, either on a free website like Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com, or by asking your realtor to take you to the MLS. ⓘ You can get a good overview of the property from the listing. You can see the advantages and disadvantages right away, which will make it easier for you to determine whether you want to study more.
2. Check for any tax liens.
You can get a sense of how much taxes you would owe if you buy a home by researching its tax history. It will also show whether a property has any tax liens.
Tax liens can make closing more difficult, so finding out if a property has one will help you determine whether to submit an offer.
3. Determine whether it is a historic building.
When you own a historic home, your approach to repairs and restorations will probably change. Historic buildings frequently need particular maintenance. For instance, you might need to employ a professional to clean or fix old windows. Your insurance could be more expensive.
Your home might be subject to stringent laws and restrictions, depending on the area.
4. Look up the title.
One of the last tasks you complete before closing on a house is the background search. Verifying the ownership of the property is the primary goal of the title search. In other words, confirm that the seller is the legitimate owner and that there are no controversies.