I made every mistake buying my first home

Learn from my mistakes so you don't have to make them too

Grab the free checklist I’ve made for my wife and I below here. Feel free to make a copy for yourself!

Below I’ve pasted the contents of the doc for you to scan.

Things to check before buying a home

“A house is made with walls and beams;
a home is built with love and dreams.”
–Ralph Waldo

*Note: This is not financial advice. This is simply a list of things I wish I knew before I bought my first home. Any one of these things would have saved a lot of money.

Before you read:

Remember, my #1 biggest mistake was not asking for help. Do your research. There are tons and tons of youtube videos covering home buying tips. There are books on it. You almost certainly know someone who has bought a home. Even if you have to pay a professional their rate to come and take a look at some things, the hundreds of dollars you will pay them could save you tens of thousands down the road. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

Also, remember that this is NOT a comprehensive list. Do your homework. These just cover some of the ways we were surprised / let down.

I’d recommend also taking time to scan the comments section for longer, higher-rated comments. There are some great nuggets of wisdom in them.

You are free to make copies of this doc. Comment if you have suggestions on the original video!

A couple helpful links:

6 Critical things

Buying an older home

My personal checklist:

1. Sqft - consider needs for yourself / family at least a few years beyond how long you expect to stay.

2. Lot size and yard preference

3. Layout based on lifestyle

4. Feel comfortable?

5. Natural light?

6. Good neighbors?

7. Good neighborhood?

8. Good school district? (if kids)

9. Proximity to grocery, downtown, large stores, work, family, friends / community, parks

10. Last 10 years of history of the property

    1. Who lived here

    2. Why did they move

    3. Major repairs & why they happened

    4. Floods, Leaks, Damages, Improvements

11. Well or City water?

    1. If well water:

       1. Test the water - nitrates, bacteria

       2. Hardness

       3. History of the well

       4. Water pressure

       5. Does it have a hose?

       6. Run ALL sinks, showers, faucets of any kind for pressure + heat

       7. Water heater build-up?

2. If city water:

   1. Test the water for city also

   2. How hard is it?

   3. Typical water bill?

   4. Water pressure

   5. Does it have a hose?

12. Check all main appliances:
    
    When Installed, Provider, Warranty, What materials - quality or materials or unit?, Why installed
    **Some warranties transfer with home purchase, others don’t. Best to get clear on this if you can especially for appliances 5+ years old.

    1. Water heater

       1. Ours was corroded and leaking.

    2. Water softener

       1. Ours had stopped working – too much rust had passed through ti from the bad well

    3. HVAC system & furnace

       1. Our furnace was cheap, builder-grade material which was not the correct specs for the home. We came to realize that it was using basically its “emergency heat” function ALL winter which is WAY less efficient. It cost us almost $1/sqft to heat our home because of this when it got really cold.

    4. Flooring

       1. Is the flooring properly installed?

       2. What grade materials were used?

       3. Does it warp easily?

    5. Roof

       1. Get a professional up there to check for cracks and leaks – if missed this could be a total disaster.

    6. Siding

       1. Installed properly? 

    7. Wall + floor insulation

       1. Our cellar basement was not insulated and bled heat in the winter.

    8. Gutters

       1. Do they leak? 

       2. Are there many trees around the house?

       3. Do they overflow?

       4. Is the water properly carried away from the house?

    9. Plumbing

       1. Have a plumber look at your pipes in the basement (if visible).

       2. Our pipes were not up to code and old and corroded.

    10. Dishwasher compatible? 

        1. We do not have a dishwasher, which we don’t mind. But this can be a big deal for some especially with larger families or for people who host a lot.

13. Can you run multiple water utilities at the same time? 

    1. Shower + dishwasher

    2. Multiple sinks

    3. Turn stuff on until you see a noticeable dip in water pressure to test the limit of the system.

14. Does the house have electric and gas or electric only? 

    1. This will affect what kinds of appliances you can have.

15. Is the electric wired correctly?

    1. We’ve had many appliances burn out on us because the wiring was done incorrectly.

16. Are there outdoor outlets?

17. Are the windows and doors insulated & installed properly?

    1. Do they leak air?

    2. Are there gaps in them?

    3. Are they quality materials?

18. Does the basement flood?

19. Where is the breaker box?

20. Are the showers & tubs correctly installed without cracks or leaks or mold?

    1. Mold can grow in the ceiling if not drywalled correctly.

    2. Leaks can happen from small cracks or gaps - take a close look!

21. Is there mold growing anywhere in the house?

    1. We know a couple who had to completely tear down their original home because there was black mold growing in the walls.

22. Any signs of termites?

23. Are the hot/cold handles installed the right way?

24. Do the sinks drain efficiently?

25. Does the bathtub have an overflow drain?

26. Is any outside wood sealed & painted?

27. How is the storage space in the home?

28. Do you like the colors of the walls?

29. How is the air circulation throughout the home? Does heat get trapped upstairs in the summer?

    1. I’ve sweat it out some nights when it gets hot, no matter how cold we put our A/C on (of course part of the problem was our unit was a piece of crap).

30. Check the Zillow checklist below for more tips.

Zillow Checklist

In closing, I’ll say this as well – this is a ton of information. At least, it can be if you go and look up the proper standards for everything. I don’t expect that any home will ever be perfect, but at least you know what to plan on.

I will also say, be ready to have $10-$20k in repairs / projects come up within your first few years of owning a home. We’ve had enough experiences of stuff randomly breaking to know that the repairs can add up fast. Don’t be caught off guard expecting that things won’t break.