Re: Buying Home Checklist
LB...We just bought our house and it is new...
Here are some things to consider:
We got the builder to move the laundry room to the basement (we didn't want the entire floor shaking whenever the washer is on!) But some ppl like the convenience of having everything on the ground floor.
We got the builder to move the fireplace to the smallest wall in the room...so there is more space to put sofas against the walls.
Consider getting the front entrance widened to 2 doors. Right now we have one door entrance and I don't think that our old sofas will fit through there. It makes it easier to move stuff in and out - even with groceries and stuff.
Consider at least one bedroom having an adjoining bath...for those relatives who visit...
Check out if all windows open and have handles...(here, we just found out that half the windows don't open - I guess they are there just to provide light!!!)
Find out from the builder if they have contracts with certain furniture/appliance companies...they can get you coupons for discounts on furniture/appliances if you buy from them.
If you are buying from a builder, go around to the neighbourhood and knock on people's doors and ask about their experiences. We did this...we drove around one saturday...most people were working on their lawns or watching their kids play and they told us about their problems (ie not enough light in the stairs, garage too tight, builders not providing house on time, etc)
You may also want to check the type of ground the house is on...ie. the builder we bought from is building in 6 different areas in the city. In two places, they built near swamp land so some of the houses sank a few feet 2 years later! The area we bought in has solid rock underneath...someone was saying that if there was an earthquake, there wouldn't be much movement.
And get a good inspector for the new house...(get recommendations from friends). Hubby just found the first one on the internet and the guy just came, looked, filled out a couple of forms and left. He didn't explain anything to us at all and charged us a lot.
Good luck.