When House Shopping What Should We....?

OK, using your criteria here are some items: Air Conditioning/Heating should blow cool/hot depending on the mode. Filters should be clean and there should be no odd noises coming from the units. Plumbing should be looked at closely. Look for water stains on walls, floors, and ceilings. Try all the faucets and see that the water comes out clear. There should be no noises when turning the water on or off. Plumbing fixtures should not be rusty, chipped, or dented. No cracks in sinks or toilets. The water heater should not make any noise when it comes on. Electrical fixtures should not have any black marks around them and there should be none around switches and outlets. Buy a small circuit tester that plugs in and stick it in several outlets to see if there's a ground fault or other defect. Turn on every light and fixture you can find and see if a breaker trips or fuse blows. Make sure the house has working smoke/carbon dioxide detectors. Look at the floors and see if the carpet or floor covering is buckled or has wrinkles. That could mean a shifted foundation or cracked slab. Check the walls and ceilings for cracks. Basement, too, if the house has one. Look in the attic and see if there are water stains, etc. Walk around the outside and look for cracks in the exterior walls. You don't have to go on the roof, but you should be able to see if the shingles are curled up or some are missing or broken, etc. Write down everything you see or hear. Ask questions of YOUR real estate agent and other professionals. Narrow your choice down to a couple of houses with the least defects and then make your decision. At that point you should hire a licensed home inspector to go over the major mechanical and structural systems. Good luck.