Before you sign your name to a contract legally binding you to the purchase of a house, there are a few things you should check out. With disclosure laws varying by state, you might not get the same information in Wisconsin as you would have in California, and if you’re looking to buy a house out of state, this can come to be a real issue.
Read on to learn more about what you should have inspected before you purchase a home, and remember: CoverHound is here to ease your housing worries with fast and easy-to-use [homeowners insurance quotes compare](https://coverhound.com/homeowners-insurance) tools.
**Living the Dream: Buying a House**
What can be lost in all of the excitement and anticipation of buying a new home is how well-suited the house actually is for you and your family. Leaky pipes, single-pane windows and a [dark history](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alejandro-rojas/do-you-need-to-tell-a-buyer-your-house-is-haunted_b_8435418.html) can all have a disastrous effect on your physical and mental health, and are not something to be taken lightly.
*1. The structure’s history.* Was there a fire in the kitchen or a flood in the basement? Was the house ever treated for a termite infestation? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you will want a report of how the situation was taken care of and when in the house’s history the structural damage and repairs took place and by what company.
*2. Material facts.* A material fact is any information that might change the buyer’s decision, this can include structural damages (as mentioned above) and it can include spectral hauntings. Disclosure laws in real estate vary, and while one realtor may tell you that natural death, murder or suicide occurred on the property of the home you’re buying, another may not. To avoid living in a house with [bad joo joo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9KZr2Vn7CQ), Visit the local town records office and look for information about your house, the records should detail structural changes and deaths on the property.
*3. The flow of the space.* How easily can you move about the space - from room to room and indoor to outdoor? If the idea of moving about multiple rooms to get to one area sounds obnoxious, try to find a home with an open floor plan.
*4. Size of the rooms.* Everyone decorates their homes differently, and what might have seemed like a spacious and airy house with the original owner’s sparse furniture can be cramped and small with your heavy wooded bedroom and dining set. If you’re willing to part with furniture that might not fit or look “at home” in the house, then the size of the rooms probably won’t prove to be a contentious issue for you.
*5. The neighborhood.* The house might be perfect and have everything you want, but the neighborhood might need a little extra TLC. If you don’t like the way your prospective neighbor keeps his yard or learn that there are weekly and boisterous block parties, you might want to rethink if the house is worth it.
Finding the right house that meets your needs can take time, but isn’t it worth it? For more housing tips and homeowners insurance discounts, [click here](https://coverhound.com/homeowners-insurance).
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