You’ve heard us say it before – a home inspection is a must for anyone looking to buy their next house. This is especially true when it comes to buying a foreclosure. And even though inspecting a foreclosure may require a little more expertise, you don’t have anything to worry about if you call the Home Inspectors of North Georgia.

Turn On The Utilities

Prior to your home inspection, make plans for cutting on the power to the water, electricity and gas – you’ll definitely want to ensure that all is well with these key components of your house.

Once the power is cut on, you’ll then make sure that they are on all the way.

This will help you avoid problems like overlooking leaky faucets or electrical issues that are being hidden. You never know what you’ll come across with a foreclosure, so it’s better to do your due-diligence up front!

Things to look for with a vacant house

The house you are considering could have been sitting unoccupied for quite some time. Thieves love to prey on things like copper. Check outside objects, even for obvious things like the air conditioner. My brother recently bought a foreclosure in Athens. His problem with theft was pretty obvious: his whole air conditioning unit was missing. But you may not be so lucky. Air conditioning units can have missing parts too.

You also never know what the state of mind was of the previous owner. Damage could range from intentional, to “I didn’t have any money to fix it”, even accidental damage. Regardless, you’ll want to ensure you completely identify all major issues inside of the home.

Rodents In The Home

Let’s talk about rats, termites, and other pests that have been occupying your home while no one was living there. It’s the rodents who can really have a “hay day” with the home while no one lives there. It should be obvious with any foreclosure, but you’ll want to have an extra thorough pest inspection done on both the interior and exterior of your home. You don’t want any surprise as you move forward with your new property.

We hope these tips have helped you as you look to buy your next foreclosed property.