If you are interested in buying a house that is completely vacant, there are several things you should be aware of before you buy it. Before you rush to make an offer on the house, it's important to know what things you should watch out for with vacant homes. Here are several things to evaluate and look at if you are considering buying a house that is vacant.
Are the utilities on?
The first thing you should find out is if the house has the utilities on. If not, this means the utilities were shut off, and you should find out how long the house has been without any utilities. This is an important aspect to look at with vacant homes. If the utilities were kept on and are still on, it probably means the house was protected from the extreme heat and cold. It can also mean that the plumbing pipes were protected. Without utilities, damage can occur to almost every part of a house.
Does the house have pests in it?
The second thing to watch out for is pests, especially if the house did not have utilities on. Pests have a way of making their way into occupied homes and unoccupied homes. The difference is that homeowners will kill or remove pests if they enter into their homes, but an unoccupied home has no one there to do this. Because of this, vacant homes often have rodents in them, bats, or bugs, and eliminating pests can be difficult if a home contains a lot of them.
Are things missing from the house?
The other thing you will need to examine is whether the house has everything in it that it should. When homes are vacant, things can go missing. For example, insurance companies charge homeowners high rates to insure vacant homes because they are prone to burglaries. A burglar might enter in a vacant home and steal copper pipes from the walls, the furnace, light fixtures, or anything else of value.
If you are buying a vacant home, make sure that you thoroughly check the entire home to make sure that the home has everything in it that should be there.
Buying a vacant home is not a bad idea, but you should thoroughly inspect the house, especially if it has been vacant for a long time. To view property for sale in your area, call a real estate agent today.