WHEN you want to buy a house, you must let it be inspected professionally. If you are coming here in Spain for example, the best sensible thing ought to be in your mind is whether you are a European or not. Most of the people who easily adjust living here are those coming from the Iberian Peninsula like Portugal and those living within the Mediterranean coastline like certain parts of the Italian territory.
After all, the climate here is as similar as it is in the Mediterranean parts elsewhere. And if you’re coming from Britain or other parts of the United Kingdom and similar territories such as Ireland and Scotland, you may be able to adjust here too because Spain has been the home of British expatriates through the years.
I’m not just talking of mainland Spain here. I’m also talking about the other parts of Spanish territories such as the Canaries and the Balearic. The most famous Balearic islands – Ibiza and Mallorca which houses its capital Palma del Mallorca – are hot destinations all year round even in winter. In winter, it may be cold in these areas but not as cold as in such zones as France where the wind coming from the snowy Alps blows through your skin.
In the Balearic and the Canary Islands, you still need to keep layers and layers of clothing when you plan to live there though because it can get colder. Besides, these are ideal places for retirement. No one will definitely annoy you here especially during the non-peak tourist season if all you need is serenity. But before dumping your money to that home investment, you need to conduct a home inspection first.
A home inspection is needed after you have exhausted all your house hunting efforts. Remember that buying a home is not a joke and requires lots of factors to come with a pretty good decision. In a typical home inspection, it’s not just the professional plumbers or architects who are involved. You may want to involve your spouse and kids too unless of course the home is intended as a surprise present for your spouse. But needless to say, deciding to buy a home must be taken with utmost care.
Home inspection does not mean too that only the physical structure of the property is inspected. Your lawyer must also inspect if all documents are in order – documents such as tax declarations, receipts, titles and classification of land. There is not an element that must be left behind. Even a seemingly non-consequential thing as declaring your phone line as commercial instead of residential may mean that you’ll be incurring huge charges.
That is why people must know that even trivial matters hurt. You must make sure too that the property sighted is not prone to floods and crime. To ensure this, you must know that it is not situated in a low lying area. Many people now use the facilities of Google Earth to conduct a reconnaissance on the property they are about to assume.
Purchasing a second home is quite a hard task to do. It talks a lot of money and it needs more legal arrangements to make the whole property be yours. Before anything else, you would surely think of really buying the house or tentatively renting for it. However, buying a house is a need of a lot of inspections and accurate decisions where you want to locate it. There are houses available in the city if you want to be near in your workplace or you can have the house at the suburbs area which gives you more peace. Living in the suburb areas is advantageous when it comes to prices and it has a quieter locations, however it has a mile distance away from your workplace. While living in the city is advantageous when it comes to the nearness of your workplace since it can be walk for a minute, however when it comes to peaceful matter, you cannot avail it much.
Distances doesn’t only the things you must consider when buying a house, but you should always consider if it deserves for the budget being offered. Scrutinize also if the house you opt to buy is still functioning well. Don’t just be persuaded with the physical appearance it takes, try also to consider if the amenities inside is still functioning. Examine it yourself for maybe it does not have the qualities you are looking for such a house. Never even trust much your estate agent’s reports because there are instances that they are just trying to deceive on you. It would be better if you probe it yourself so that you will not regret at the end. Though estate agents could be a big asset in processing all about selling the house as well as the local lawyers, still your presence is needed in order to determine whether you would continue buying the property.
Don’t waste time wandering around without any inspection for your second home; it may end up with a big mess! Ask much significant question or information about legality. Remember that you will be exerting not only hundreds when buying a house but millions. Therefore your presence and cooperation is needed. An instance like paying the amount and after all problems plagued is a big clutter in mind, so if you don’t want to be another victim then you should be wiser than ever.
Before anything else, consider also the type of the houses you opt to buy. There are available single houses, apartments, town houses, mansions among others. If the budgeted money you have can accommodate mansions, then verify it wisely if it deserves for the prices it takes. There are some owners that offer a high range of price but does not jive the quality you are looking. The house itself should not be only the things you must inspect but also roam around with its lot if it can accommodate spaces to park your car. And of course don’t rush time staying with your second home without any inspection if the title is really legally yours already.
BEFORE buying any second home or even before buying a structure intended to be leased, one needs to inspect it not just physically but legally and financially. This is not just intended for completely furnished homes, this is also for vacant lots. For a vacant lot, all documents associated with it must be thoroughly verified by the potential buyer to be accompanied with his lawyer and real estate broker of course. For a fully furnished house, items to be inspected are not just the functionality of the appliances inside but also the status of certain amenities in the surroundings. Examples of which are the status of the orchard and the mango trees therein, the status of the swimming pool, the functionality of the panic room and the alarm system, the status of the basement and the attic and many other aspects in the estate. In particular, one must have a close inspection of the trees and other shrubs growing in the area whether they have infestation. In the home, the potential buyer must also inspect the financial status of the property whether there is a hidden debt associated with it and if there is one, whether it is transferable to the new owner. Utilities are a common issue here. Are Internet, cable TV and home connections intermittent?
A professional home inspection team may be costly but using one can definitely justify buying the property. After all, a real estate is a huge investment and more so if you and your family will ultimately call it a home. Speaking of family, even your three-year-old daughter must have a say in the home up for sale. The professional home inspection team must be composed of an anti-vermin consultant, a civil engineer, an architect, an interior designer, a plumber and an electrical engineer. The anti-vermin consultant is obviously responsible for all the pests such as rats and ants both inside and outside walls of the house including the drainage pipes. The civil engineer is responsible to inspect the structural integrity of the foundation of the house. The architect is responsible for the overall exterior appeal of the house. The interior designer is responsible to arrange the settings of the various rooms in the house such as the living room, the bedrooms and the kitchen. He or she will be the one responsible to suggest to the new owner the arrangements of the several drawers and closets in the house. The plumber will supervise the inspection of all pipes and drainages and the electrical engineer will of course supervise the inspection of all electrical wirings in the house.
The United States and neighbor Canada have relatively similar methods in home inspections. In Canada, there is the so-called registered home inspector. Engineers and architects are obviously exempted from being a licensed home inspector since they have already earned related degrees. A person intending to become a registered home inspector must take a six-academic month crash course on professional home inspection and take the qualifying examination before he can receive the certificate of being one.
