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killian

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Well I'm looking to buy my 1st home and I'm a little freaked out. I'm afraid I'm going to end up with some house requiring way more work than I'm capable of doing (I'm not exactly mechanically inclined). With that being said, I have some questions.

How do I know what shape the septic system is in?

The realtor said the house is block built with vinyl siding out doors and framing inside would this type of building tend to be well insulated and fuel efficient?

Any idea of a ballpark cost for lead paint testing?

Any help is appreciated
 
Once you find something you like..get a home inspection.
Go to American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI to help you find an Inspector in your area. This is a professional ,3rd party recognized organization. The only one in the country.

Good luck, and stop back when you need questions on how to fix something. :)
 
I'd agree with the above post; and in some state counties they have free inspection services, or even required inspection services before a home can be sold.
 
From my own experience, get an inspector independently of your realtor.
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What I know and what I can prove are two different things.

killian said:
would this type of building tend to be well insulated and fuel efficient?
Click to expand...
Get past fuel bills for this house, then look up Heating Degree Days for it's location,
Heating & Cooling Degree Days - Free Worldwide Data Calculation
then get the square footage for the place.

"In US units, one standard cubic foot of natural gas produces around 1028 British Thermal Units (BTU). "

1.4 BTU/[sq.ft.-HDD] is a tight house, 6 is average, 11 is the loosest house for which I got a sample.

For a 2000 ft² house and 750 HDD in December, 80 Therms for that month and an 83% efficient furnace, it comes in at [80*100,000*0.83]/[2000*750] = 4.4 BTU/[sq.ft.-HDD].

Knowing the Outside Design Temperature for the area, the gas usage and the furnace input BTU/hr, you can also determine if the furnace is oversized, which makes for inefficient operation.
 
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When I talked to the bank they said they require a home inspection so I will have that done.

As for prior utilities, the current owner lives in florida during the winter so I dont think that I will be able to get an idea from their records.

this place has two furnaces, it once was a duplex.

Thanks for the input, I know this forum is for repairs and I appreciate your time.
 
We cover all forms of house ownership. Let us know what they say.
 
killian said:
As for prior utilities, the current owner lives in florida during the winter so I dont think that I will be able to get an idea from their records.
Click to expand...
Maybe the utility company can help with the data. A leaky house will nickel and dime you forever.
Foundation repairs also seem costly so that should be checked.
 
I agree that you need to accompany a professional inspector in terms of checking these kind of stuff.
 
So I dont think the 1st house is going to work out. Now I'm looking at putting in a purchase offer on another place.

I think I have found the right house, but I dont think I have much room to negotiate. The seller is asking 124, I'm thinking of offering 115-116. someone already has a Contingency Offer in so I dont think I can offer less.

One of the things I think I want to do to this place is add a vent less natural gas heater of some kind. this place has electric heat and I thinking this heater will save some cash. The current owner had the gas run into the laundry room and I could probably run it right through the wall into the next room.
 
killian said:
So I dont think the 1st house is going to work out. Now I'm looking at putting in a purchase offer on another place.

I think I have found the right house, but I dont think I have much room to negotiate. The seller is asking 124, I'm thinking of offering 115-116. someone already has a Contingency Offer in so I dont think I can offer less.

One of the things I think I want to do to this place is add a vent less natural gas heater of some kind. this place has electric heat and I thinking this heater will save some cash. The current owner had the gas run into the laundry room and I could probably run it right through the wall into the next room.
Click to expand...

You can always offer less.

If the contingency is that the other party has to sell their house, the seller might accept just to get the sales over with. I suggest you go in low but high enough to get a counter offer. I would start at 100 or lower since you seem to be able to find a supply of acceptable houses to purchase.

As to the gas, that is not a DIY project. You are correct in that once there is gas at the house, it can be used for heating, but get the advice of a professional as to how and where.
 
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well I under a lot of pressure to buy and there are not a lot in my area and in my price range. The guy said he probably wont consider less than the contingency offer which he said was 123
 
Congrats on looking to purchase your first home! It is a big deal, and can get overwhelming if you let it.

I don't want to be too personal, but is there a reason you are under pressure to make a purchase? Since this is something you will probably be in for a while, make sure it's something you want and are happy with. I obviously have no clue about your situation, but I'm assuming this is where you are going to be every day for some time to come.

I also agree that you definitely want to have a home inspection done. Many things will need to be fixed on the previous owner's dime before you purchase. There is no reason to get into a house and have to pay to fix things that the previous owner did incorrectly.
 
The home inspectors are looking for things that may come back and bite them, things that they may get sued over, likely relating to the later personal safety of the buyer. But they don't want to kill the deal.

Drainage problems costing thousands to fix is probably not on his/her list.

Septic tanks affect the health of the buyer so this may be flagged, but the burden of proof for the cause of the buyer's health problems may be on the buyer.

Roofs & foundations? Dunno'.

My inspector left me a list of questions to ask the seller before buying, stuff like "Has the central air and heating ever not been able to maintain temps between limit X and limit Y?".
My realtor was outraged and asked where I got these questions. I told her it was from the same home inspector that she recommended.
I still have those pages of questions somewhere.

The worst home buyer ever would be a person who is a structural engineer, plumber, electrician, carpenter, HVAC tech and attorney.
 
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