St. George is a beautiful city in southern Utah. There is the Snow Canyon State Park nearby which offers picturesque trails and red cliffs made out of sandstone. There are various buildings from the 19th century which dot the city like the Brigham Young Winter Home and the Pioneer Courthouse. The Art Museum has works and photos by artists hailing from the region. There is also the Zion National Park which lies to the north of the city.
All in all, this is a beautiful place to be buying your new house, and we want to make sure you do that right. Buying a house can be exciting but it is also nerve wracking and extremely excruciating. If you want to know about St. George homes for sale, Utah, you should look it up on the internet. Once you see a sign that says “St. George homes for sale” or “Homes for sale in Southern Utah”, you should get alert to notice these 10 things.
- Checking the roof you will be living under
Even before setting a single foot inside the house, you should take a close look at the things happening with the roof. If the roof is new or looks like the material it is made out of is not sturdy, it may end up costing you. This is because newer roofs generally have lower rates on insurance. A roof that is not sturdy enough will break down in case of high winds or hail.
- Check the temperature of the house
If the house looks really old and not in good shape, chances are, it really is not. Keep that in mind while seeing homes in St. George Utah for sale. When a house grows old, the first things to go are the cooling and heating systems. They can often be very expensive to replace and if they are not efficient enough, they can rack up large bills.
- See beyond the paint of the room
Once you go inside any room, try and notice the structure of the room more than the paint job. This is because the paint often hides the appliances well beyond their age, and is especially good at hiding wires which are loose. The foundation has to be strong because the paint will chip away but the pain won’t.
- Seeing what lies underneath
Don’t just check the kitchen or the washroom at eye level. Get low and below the sink and take a look at the pipes below. Check for any of these warning signs: damage due to water, leakage, or mould. Mould is especially harmful as it can cause a variety of health problems, apart from being really bad smelling and unsightly.
- Take a look at your surroundings
As important as it may be to look inside the house, make sure that you look outside as well. Examine the plot of the building and the surrounding areas. Check if the area is prone to random flooding due to municipal issues, or any natural disasters. Also check where the fences are and whether you will have to share the driveway with anyone else. Check everything around the house.
- Keep your house well insulated
Besides all the technical aspects of your home, it should be safe and comfortable. Check out the attic of your home and the heating vents and the water systems to make sure each and every thing is properly protected. Proper insulation not only safeguards you against potential threats, it also lowers down the day to day costs by just working well. Even something as seemingly insignificant as windows that are double-paned can help you save important bucks over the years.
- Let your nose take over for a while
Once your eyes have done all the seeing, let your nose do all the smelling. Be on the lookout for anything unpleasant like gas or sewage. If the sewage systems in homes are not well built, they can get clogged easily or get damaged by environmental factors. Get a plumbing company to send small cameras throughout the drainage system to check any blockage or leakage in the pipes. Also be on the lookout for smells like mildew and the odours of previous pets.
- It’s time to get your hands dirty
Once you have let your eyes and nose do their job, turn to the sense of touch. Check out each and every faucet in the house and each and every switch as well to find out the faulty ones. Try to open all the doors and windows to notice any abnormalities in doing so. Check the regulators of the fans and the flushes of the toilets. Taste the running water to see if its good or not. You have to see if everything works before taking the house.
- Take your own needs into account
Prepare a list of all the dealbreakers beforehand. Once all the manual stuff is out of the way, see if the house actually fits your bill of the perfect house. Think about the lifestyle you want to live and plan accordingly. If you are planning to have children, or get married, or have extra guests over frequently, an extra bedroom should be the way to go.
- Get a thorough Home Inspection
Your five senses can only serve you so much when it comes to checking a house. Before buying a house you have to make sure that a professional comes by to check the house and ensures that the foundation of the house is solid and all the wiring that has been done is safe and insulated. Then you should get the plumbing checked out. After that, get a bunch of home inspectors to detect any kind of pests or lead paint present in the house. It is estimated that every house has a flaw. Some are obvious while others are not. But it’s best to check.
Conclusion
We recommend you to take your time and not make a hasty decision as getting a house is one of the major steps in life and does not happen too often.
