What to Check on Day 1 in Your New Home
You might not know it, but the first 24 hours in your new home are essential; day one is when you set the tone for your entire stay. So, it’s never a good feeling to discover there are many things you need to fix after moving into the house.
However, taking care of these things from the beginning is essential to avoid problems later. Therefore, this article will discuss the vital things you need to check in your new home on day one.
Why Should You Review Your New Home for Damage Before Moving in Your Furniture?
Checking your home on day one is one of the most critical steps to take when you just buy a new house. Although you likely inspected the home before purchasing, unless you’re an experienced surveyor, it’s like that you missed a few things.
Rechecking your new home allows you to ensure everything is as you expect – and is as agreed in the contract. This is especially true when buying a new build home, as everything should be as good as new and fully functional when you sign for the keys.
Ideally, you’d carry out these checks before moving in your furniture. Some issues are easier to fix if the house is empty and some, like mould or damp, might cause you to decide to delay your move in date until the underlying issue is fixed.
Top 5 Common Issues to Check
Below are five common issues you should look out for:
Mould or Evidence of a Water Leak
It’s easy to miss evidence of mould or water leak during inspections. However, a water leak can quickly run up your water bills.
Therefore, checking for leaks on day 1 in your new home is essential. Also, mould removal and water damage cost thousands of dollars to fix. That’s why it’s vital to look out for this immediately.
Improper Electrical Wiring
Many homeowners complain that improper electrical wiring is the most common home defect they find. This could be inadequate overload protection, insufficient electrical services, or even unprofessional wiring connections.
Faulty Appliances
Ideally, you might have checked a few of the appliances out when you were touring the house. However, some of them might have developed fault by the time you move in. So check all the appliances to ensure they are all in perfect condition.
Blocked Guttering
Sometimes, this is hard to take note of during the inspection process. However, it’s important because it can cause rainwater to back up under the roof and results in other issues like mould and leaks.
Damage From the Move Out
Sometimes, the former owners still live in the home during the inspection, and you don’t notice any damage until you move in. Some minor issues like marks on the wall might be easy to fix, but when there are deep scratches on the floor, damage to door frames, and stains on the carpet, you have a bigger problem in your hand.
This list is not exhaustive. There are plenty of common snags you can find in a new home, so ensure you carefully check out the house and have any defects fixed.
What You Should Do if You Find Damage
If you discover defects on day one in your home, you might wonder if you will handle the financial burden of fixing the problem yourself. Below are vital steps to take to ensure you don’t bear the expenses alone:
Determine Who Is to Blame: You must first determine who is to blame for the undisclosed damages. The responsible parties could be the agent, realtor, or seller.
Call the Agent: The first call you should make is to the real estate agent. You might have to make another call to the sellers if you have direct contact with them.
Use Held-Back Funds: Sometimes, when you notice damage before closing sales, you can choose to hold back money in escrow till work is completed. If you did this, you could simply use the held-back funds. If not, contact the seller and ask for repairs to be carried out or the funds for repairs transmitted to you.
Take pictures and videos of the damage as evidence to show that it was there before you moved in and that the previous homeowner was aware of the damage but concealed it.
Who Can Help You Fix Any Damage That You Find?
You’ll need a professional to fix problems in your new home. The agent or seller might send a contractor to help repair the damages. In any case, if the damages are minor, you might be able to fix them yourself.
You might also need to hire a building surveyor to conduct a snagging survey to determine the number of damages and defects. After the survey, you and your agent or seller will get a report about what needs fixing.
Final Thoughts
When you buy a new property, it’s extremely likely that you’ll find defects you didn’t notice beforehand. This might be because the seller hid the damage or didn’t know about them during the inspection. Either way, it’s essential to check them out on day one and solve anything major as quickly as possible, setting yourself up for success in your new home.
