Ditmas park houses.

we are lifetime apartment dwellers and are looking into a house in ditmas park, is there a short list of questions/observations anyone can recommend when we first go and see  the place?

jbanks

in Inspection 13 years and 10 months ago

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BHS | 13 years and 10 months ago

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Make sure you go in the cellar and look for flooding issues, foundation cracks or problems, and ask questions about the boiler and plumbing, electrical etc. Anything that’s covered up or inaccessible you should be asking about. Take a good look at the shingles, siding, roof (from ground), chimney, to get an idea of how the building’s been maintained and what work is needed. The type of light-switches is a hint at how old the electrical is. Take photos if they’ll let you because you’ll see a bunch of stuff you missed when you were there in person. Basically, ask about each of the big ticket items and make sure you see them firsthand as far as is possible (foundation/cellar, electrical, plumbing, roof, exterior) and then ask about anything out of the ordinary you might see. People will often tell you a lot if you happen to ask.

jbanks | 13 years and 10 months ago

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Thanks very much, very helpful.

slopegirl | 13 years and 10 months ago

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It’s a house so if you own it one day you will care about: how old is the roof, how old is the furnace, hot water heater, etc. Is the porch rotting in? Try to look at the bones of the place first of all. Is the layout right? Do you want to change bathrooms and kitchens? Those are renovations that cost the most $$. If it’s near the tracks be very sure you can live with that. Places by the train are cheaper but the trade off is permanent.

I also would want a very good sense of block and neighbors (down the line, if you’re interested), it’s worth returning to see how it is at different times of day and days of the week. As you know from apartment living, neighbors can make a huge difference in daily life, and if you own a place, you can’t just move leave.