The list every homebuyer needs

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Q. We’re buying our first home and want to know what we should be doing before we close on it. We know we want an inspection and title search, but are there other things we should be doing? We hired an attorney that our real estate agent recommended, but he hasn’t really told us much. We hope to remove some walls and renovate the house before we move in. What do you recommend?

A. I wish someone had told us what I’m going to tell you before we bought our first house. We were a young couple with a 3-year-old and another on the way. The third day we were in the house, the main sewer line backed up, and the finished basement walls had to be torn out. The heating system needed parts, the roof had a leak … and I was the home inspector! These issues were hidden when I inspected, so I learned that no inspection reveals all.

You’ll notice in the beginning of your report that it’s limited to “visual inspection only.” The thing most people leave out is a building search (not the same as a title search). Most of the items in your title search, such as whether there are outstanding tax issues, legal encumbrances, etc., are important to the sale, but generally have little to do with your comfort or safety in the home. I often find open issues when searching building department files and then comparing those records with the building.

For example, finished basements need permits, and most homes are listed as having unfinished basements, because most people don’t think they needed review or approval or a second means of escape. The same goes for that extra bathroom on the second floor, a fence, pool, shed or deck. You need the following: an attorney, a title search, home inspection, new survey, building department search, home search, and independent electrician’s, plumber’s and pest-control inspections.

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