Before you begin looking at houses, define your needs and price range so you won’t waste anyone’s time.

• What do you want in your home?
• What can you realistically afford?
• How much down payment can you make?
• How much can you afford monthly for your mortgage and repair costs revealed during your inspections?

Preapproval makes your bid more compelling by allowing you to put a ‘real’ offer on the table, assuring a seller that you’re ready to go and proving your ability to follow through.

It’s great if you’re competing in a place such as Northern Virginia.

You don’t want to buy anything without the advice of a local real estate agent who has been doing business in the Northern Virginia market for a long time.

They can give you a real sense of the market, introduce you to some good inspectors, and assist you in negotiating either a price or contracts.

Don’t go it alone.

Before making an offer, perform a preliminary evaluation of the property:

• Check Public Records: Find out who owned the property before or if it had any liens, permits, or violations due from past owners.
• Neighborhood evaluation: Visit the area at different times of the day to get a feel for its ambiance in terms of noise, traffic, and general vibe.

Find out what local amenities and community facilities are available – schools, shops, pubs, parks – and explore future development plans.

Once you’ve decided to make an offer, be sure to include contingencies that will protect you – some common contingencies in the Northern Virginia area are:

• Financing Contingency: Ensures the deal is contingent upon securing a mortgage.
• Home Inspection Contingency: This allows you to cancel or renegotiate if significant problems are uncovered during plumbing, electrical, pest, roofing, sewer, septic, and or well water inspections.
• Appraisal Contingency: Ensures the property’s appraised value meets or exceeds the purchase price.

Now that your offer has been accepted, it’s time to have inspections, but what and who?

I advise putting all the inspections and reports below that you want to be done into the home sale contingency.

a. General Home Inspection

Shorter home inspections – typically called general home inspections – assess the property’s overall condition, focusing on the structure, roofing, windows, doors, HVAC system, and other critical elements. The report usually outlines any significant defects and maintenance issues that must be addressed.

b. Plumbing Inspection

Evaluate the plumbing system for leaks, low water pressure, or old pipes; look at fixtures, water heaters and the water supply line from the main.

c. Electrical Inspection

Choosing PRO Electric in Northern Virginia, a Certified & licensed electrician, would be good practice to inspect the electrical system for safe operation and comply with current code requirements by reviewing wiring, circuit breakers, outlets, and fire hazards.

d. Sewer Line Inspection

This inspection is essential in an older home because it can detect a blockage, leak, or damage in the sewer line and fix problems before they become more expensive. You must contact our plumbers at Veteran Plumbing Services for a sewer line inspection.

e. Pest Inspection

Pest inspection identifies termite damage, wood-destroying organisms, or other pest conditions that, if left untreated, could jeopardize the home’s integrity.

f. Well Water Inspection (If Applicable)

If the property is supplied with water through a well, conduct a well water inspection to test the well casing’s water quality, flow rates, and condition.

g. Septic Tank Inspection (If Applicable)

An inspection will determine whether the tank is functioning correctly and not nearing capacity for homes with septic systems. Maintenance is necessary to avoid costly septic repairs.

h. Roofing Inspection

Judging the roof’s condition, such as shingles, flashing, gutters, and downspouts, any leaks on the exterior downward should indicate an interior water damage issue.

The roof’s condition is crucial, given that a broken or aged roof can cause leakages and structural damage.

At the conclusion of each inspection, review with the estate agent and, if appropriate, with specialists to understand the severity of any issues found and estimate repair or replacement costs.

Based on the inspection findings, you have several options:

• Request Repairs: Ask the seller to address specific issues before closing.
• Price Reduction: Negotiate a lower purchase price to account for necessary repairs.
• Credits at Closing: Obtain financial credits to handle repairs yourself post-purchase.

If Negotiations Fail – Walk Away: You’re always entitled under the law to walk away.

After the inspections and any negotiations are concluded, finalize your mortgage.

Then, buy homeowners insurance to protect your assets.

Work with your agent, lender, and attorney (if using one) to ensure all documentation and forms are signed.

Review your closing disclosure, sign the final documents, and hand over your money, and you have a new home.

After completing the purchase, make the necessary plans to move and prepare a maintenance schedule for your new home.

Proper upkeep involves correcting small issues so that problems do not arise in the future.