Finally buying my first home. Solid brick, cape cod. Only drawback I have about the house is baseboard electric heat. Living in the Northeast, that's an issue.
With winter approaching, I'm trying to figure out what my options are. What can I do? Any advice on heat pumps? Will they work up in the north east (PA), or is it too cold? Home inspection is this week. What kind of questions should I ask? What should I be looking out for?
I'm new to all of this, so any information at all would be greatly appreciated.
Not being able to control the temperature in each room in the house is a mistake i'll never make again. I'm happy with my cape, but if I had to do it over I'd get a house without forced air.
In our main family room we did install a Mitsubishi AC w/ heat pump. Its been great this summer, and should be good in weather even below 0.
I also had a wood burning stove to help supplement but really only used it on the weekends. By the time my wife and I got home it was too late to try and start a fire and it would take hours for it to get warm enough to heat the house. We solved that issue this past year by replacing it with a pellet stove. That thing is amazing. Heats the whole house up in just about an hour. I would definitely recommend supplementing with a good pellet stove.
So often, that's the case, and when that is the case it's almost like the home inspector works for the realtor (though you are in fact their client and pay their bill) and their goal is to make sure the sale happens.
After a bad experience with the home inspection on my first house I arranged it so that my 2nd house I bought was inspected by my electrician, my plumber, and my contractor.
and all their findings went into the home inspector's report (which was otherwise completely useless).
Because not sure about your state the only things in MA that can be in the contract are those that are in the report from a licensed home inspector. So we had to have the inspection, but the bulk of the relevant findings came from my contractor, electrician, and plumber.
Most contractors, electricians, and plumbers would do this for a couple hundred dollars max, and IMO it's the best spent money during the entire home buying process.
Unless you somehow find a really competent and unbiased home inspector, if such a thing exists.
Pretty much this. I figured I'd have some extremely high electric bills during the winter months. I called UGI, and a gas line doesn't run down my street. So I was looking for other alternatives.
So often, that's the case, and when that is the case it's almost like the home inspector works for the realtor (though you are in fact their client and pay their bill) and their goal is to make sure the sale happens.
After a bad experience with the home inspection on my first house I arranged it so that my 2nd house I bought was inspected by my electrician, my plumber, and my contractor.
and all their findings went into the home inspector's report (which was otherwise completely useless).
Because not sure about your state the only things in MA that can be in the contract are those that are in the report from a licensed home inspector. So we had to have the inspection, but the bulk of the relevant findings came from my contractor, electrician, and plumber.
Most contractors, electricians, and plumbers would do this for a couple hundred dollars max, and IMO it's the best spent money during the entire home buying process.
Unless you somehow find a really competent and unbiased home inspector, if such a thing exists.
Wow that makes sense. Yeah, my home inspector is through my real estate agent. I'll have to change that.
Quote:
but is the issue the presumed cost of the more expensive electric heating? If so I'd call the power company and ask for the Jan/Feb and July/August electric bills, they have to give you the information.
Pretty much this. I figured I'd have some extremely high electric bills during the winter months. I called UGI, and a gas line doesn't run down my street. So I was looking for other alternatives.
You'll be fine. Like I said, I wish I can do it over. Forced air in the winter absolutely sucks. I have a cape so I basically have to sleep (upstairs) with the windows open in the winter if the heat is on.
My parents live in a split level and same deal there too. So damn hot in the winter but freezing downstairs. Same with the neighbor nextdoor where my best friend grew up.
My dad's house is dated, I actually planned to buy his and the timing was off. I'm still looking into it though but 1 thing I will 100% do is keep the baseboard (upgrade to the better models) and just install central AC.
The extra $50 or $100 you might pay 2 months out of the year to live far more comfortably is worth it, IMO.
Also, make sure the inspector you hire comes highly recommended from someone you know personally, not your realtor.
Check for any leaks under the cabinets and the roofs to ensure there isn't any water damage. Also if there are any leaks then i would suggest Mold test (if you are planning on having kids) to avoid any surprises.
Good Luck and congrats.
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So often, that's the case, and when that is the case it's almost like the home inspector works for the realtor (though you are in fact their client and pay their bill) and their goal is to make sure the sale happens.
After a bad experience with the home inspection on my first house I arranged it so that my 2nd house I bought was inspected by my electrician, my plumber, and my contractor.
and all their findings went into the home inspector's report (which was otherwise completely useless).
Because not sure about your state the only things in MA that can be in the contract are those that are in the report from a licensed home inspector. So we had to have the inspection, but the bulk of the relevant findings came from my contractor, electrician, and plumber.
Most contractors, electricians, and plumbers would do this for a couple hundred dollars max, and IMO it's the best spent money during the entire home buying process.
Unless you somehow find a really competent and unbiased home inspector, if such a thing exists.
Could not agree more... I made the mistake of using our Realtor's inspector on my current home (my 2nd home purchase) and the doofus OK'd our heating system even though our furnace was the original from 1967. Gas company came in to service it, red flagged us because of a CO2 leak, forcing us to drop $10k on a new furnace a month into home ownership. If I ever go through this process again, I'll make sure to have my tradesman walk through the house with the inspector.
2. Look to see what school district the house is in. Better schools better resale (doesn't matter if you have kids or not)
3. While looking at the house if all you can think about is the things you will change after buying it then it is the wrong house. 1 or 2 minor things is fine but much more than that you are just in love with buying A house not that house.
4.If it is an older house ask the inspector about how hard he thinks upgrading the insulation would go. Is blown in insalation a possibility from the attic to the outside walls?.
5. Older house = older electrical and plumbing so look around at access' so you can upgrade. Is it a slab or a crawl space. Is there a cellar where you can see the wires and plumbing?
just some things to think about
I just read pjcas's post. Ditto.
Thanks. That's what I'm going to do.
My problem worn this advice is that there's a lot more that needs to be inspected, including: foundation, roof, structure, water damage, pests and radon. How many specialists are you willing to pay for and how many will the seller tolerate?
While a home inspector is not a specialist in any area, a quality inspector will spot red flags in a home's systems and recommend calling in a specialist. I certainly wouldn't hire the agent's recommended inspector, but an experienced, respected inspector is what I would recommend.
Our inspection came with a 60 page binder with pictures and all issues that were found. If there's something that sticks out then getting a specialist can't hurt, but a good inspector should suffice.
The last year that I had it thru the winter (2014), unoccupied, with the bedrooms turned off and the heat turned down to 55 degrees. I had one monthly bill come in at $900.....
If you go thru with the purchase be sure to put in Program able thermostats.
Good luck,
Lou
The last year that I had it thru the winter (2014), unoccupied, with the bedrooms turned off and the heat turned down to 55 degrees. I had one monthly bill come in at $900.....
If you go thru with the purchase be sure to put in Program able thermostats.
Good luck,
Lou
Whoa! How did you get a $900 bill if was unoccupied?
When we lived in CT, we averaged the bills out so that we paid the same amount every month. This way, you're not hit with some astronomical bill that you may not be prepared for.
If you overpay for the year, the utility company lowers the monthly bill. If you underpay, the opposite occurs.
Money can be tight for a while when you buy your first home. If this is the case with you, try the above.
When we lived in CT, we averaged the bills out so that we paid the same amount every month. This way, you're not hit with some astronomical bill that you may not be prepared for.
If you overpay for the year, the utility company lowers the monthly bill. If you underpay, the opposite occurs.
Money can be tight for a while when you buy your first home. If this is the case with you, try the above.
Yeah that's something we looked into. Unfortunately we have to be occupants for at least one year before we can get on a budget plan.
He rented out the house the past 2 years. So he didn't have those bills available.
The utility company should be able to give you a rough idea of what the electric bills are. I don't think there's a HIPPA factor involved or anything like that.
Don't put too much stock in what some of the people here are saying about inspections. I used a friends brother who I know was looking out for my best interest.. The first thing he said to me is, I'm not going to try and convince you not to buy this house - I'm just going to point out major issues that are going to cost you a lot of money to fix. He missed stuff and I missed stuff, and I'm an architect and worked construction (residential) for many years.
Just know what you're getting into. How olds your roof? How olds the heating and ac system? Your inspector should find dangerous electrical conditions.. But if there was going to be any specialist I'd bring in itd be an electrician. Foundation cracks? Termite damage? Take a look around the basement for old water damage. Water heater age?
My recommendation on the electric baseboard is live with it for a year. See what you like and don't like before investing a lot of money into something that might be fine with.
Also I highly recommend signing up for a protection plan through your utility company if they offer it. Pseg offers worry free contracts for large appliances for very little monthly costs and their techs are pretty good. Private Home warranties are a hastle and a waste of money if you ask me.