Home is where the heart is, but hopefully not the mold

[kodalai]

So signs are pointing to this august I will be moving into a house shared with a few other girls. They are looking for houses in the area, and are going to check out one of them today.

When looking at a house that you may be moving into for a year or so, what things should one check for? Aside from obvious things like "mold coming through the walls," what are the tell-tales?

Comments

[aging-parents.livejournal.com]

Well, let's see. Looking at the basement of what became the first house we bought, all the appliances were on concrete pedestals several feet high. That should have been an immediate giveaway.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

That and the fact that the house was built on a hill with a special passageway built into the uphill side to carefully funnel all rainfall directly into the basement.

[aging-parents.livejournal.com]

... with three (3) separate drains in (a) the basement well, (b) the outer basement, and (c) the inner basement. But of course that was all in house #2. What can I say? We're slow learners.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

You know, coincidentally, I was describing the setup and system failures of our basement to my friend last night. And the joys of waking up to yet another basement flood oh so many times in my childhood.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

Also: bwah hah hah hah.

[okaasan59.livejournal.com]

A rental is a bit different than buying but I imagine the immediate concerns would be the same.

Check for signs of foundation trouble--cracks in interior walls, doors sticking, cracks in outside foundation or bricks.

Signs of water damage that may indicate leaks, such as wood rotting at the bottom of door frames.

Make sure all light switches and appliances work. If you have time you may want to check all the electrical outlets as well.

Find out if major appliances (including heat and water heater) use gas or electric and be familiar with where they are located and if there are any gauges or switches that may come in handy. The same goes for the major electrical panel--know how to turn the breaker on and off.

Find out who is responsible for upkeep of the outside property, like grass-cutting, and be sure to check out the neighbors! You may want to drive by on a weekend night to see how much partying is going on next door. ^_^

Good luck!

[brinylon.livejournal.com]

Check outlets and stuff: if there are enough, do they seem ancient? Ideally you should check the neighbourhood in the evening, when lots of people are at home so you can find out if it's very noisy. Also signs of rodents...

[aging-parents.livejournal.com]

Yes, noisy rodents are the worst.

[windandwater.livejournal.com]

Make sure there's enough bathrooms for so many girls. Also, make sure the place has been properly maintained, i.e.: did the owner put a new coat of paint on the walls or change the carpet, etc. for you? Also, be sure to ask if your rental price includes utilities or not, because having to pay utilities yourself will up the cost on your end, so the rental price should reflect that.

[foxglove6.livejournal.com]

first, yay for moving into a house. and a possible yay for roommates. I hope it works out for you, I've had varying degrees of success.

Make sure everything works (appliances, light fixtures, toilets, locks, doors). I'd also ask lots of questions and take notes that you can check later. I also find it useful to bring a tape measure with me to check how large walls are and where outlets are in relation to the room, etc. Also check the windows, make sure they open and close and lock and have good seals. I particularly liked apartmens I've looked at when they have new windows. Mostly because I've had bad experiences with old windows (urg).

Good luck! and wow, but august is going to be a busy month for you!

[velvet-mace.livejournal.com]

Smell. If they couldn't get the smell out for you inspecting the place, it's baaaad and you won't be able to get it out either. Tell tale water stains on the ceiling mean that the roof leaks.

Noise!!! How obvious is every footstep, toilet flush, whispered conversation behind closed doors. Can you hear the outside?

Do the outlets work? Does water in the sink and shower drain? (Since you are renting not owning, you can lean for the guy to repair if they don't but that's a hassle and it shows that your landlord is a cheap dick.)

Check out the neighbors. Do they keep up their yards within reason. Are there signs that they throw some hard parties? Is graffiti allowed to sit?

Since you are dealing with roommates: Parking? Is their sufficiant for all of you. Are utilities included (this is easier to deal with than trying to divide up utility bills).

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

The stench of despair? I dunno. I've never had an apartment that wasn't in a house; an awful lot of housing in the Boston metro area, rental or otherwise, is in triple-deckers. Around here, you pay through nose for some place with six doors per bedroom and a decrepit porch, and by god, you're just glad you have a fucking porch, alright.

Check if the windows are loose in their frames; look for signs of insect infestation (trails of webbing, chew marks, ants crawling on shit or flies clustering on shit, frass in the staple goods, that kind of thing). Oh, you might try running water in sinks and bathrooms to make sure the drains are working properly. If it doesn't freeze much in Seattle, you probably won't have to worry about the pipes freezing in winter because some dumbass ran them on the outside of the house, though. Take a look at the cupboards to see if the handles fall off, maybe. How many outlets are there per room (particularly bedrooms)? Can you put a three-prong plug in?

Oh, and is the stove gas or electric? If it's electric, kick the landlord in the face and find a better place.

Be on the second floor if you possibly can. Moving in is more of a pain, but you can leave your windows open when you're out of the house, and never worry about it.

[chibi-faolan.livejournal.com]

Check the doors and windows -- do they seal? Is the place decently insulated? That could mean an amazing difference in the heating bill, your own comfort, and more than that, in your health.

Check the ceiling for telltale "bubbles" that imply water marks have been painted over; a leaky roof is a bitch to deal with in L.A., and from what I've heard of Seattle, it sounds like it'd be somewhere between the second and fifth circles of hell.

As for what's already been said, I've never heard of a rental house including any utilities... flats, yes. Houses, no. Be prepared to pay water, power, gas, communications and waste management. If there's a basement, expect a musty smell but beware a moldy one. I've never understood why houses in earthquake country don't have basements, but Seattle isn't so close to the fault as we are down here, so maybe it's not impossible. I've also never known a house to occupy one story of a larger building, so if there's a second story I'm sure the first will be yours, as well. And in that case, if there are wright-iron bars on the windows of the place or neighboring houses, well... don't even pause to apologize, just walk away.