Questions To Ask When You Buy A Home

10 Safety Questions to Ask Buying a New Home

Most prospective home buyers spend a great deal of time making sure a property has the number of rooms and other amenities and features they need to live as comfortably as possible. However, many neglect to give serious consideration to one critical factor: safety. It is imperative that the home and surrounding area can offer the secure lifestyle you and your family deserve. What follows are a few important safety questions to ask before moving into a house:

What is the crime rate in the neighborhood?

Just because a neighborhood appears to be quiet and peaceful, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is free of crime. Ask your realtor if they are able to supply recent crime statistics for the neighborhood. You can also gain information by visiting websites such as crimereports.com.

How recently have the door locks been changed?

Keys can easily fall into the wrong hands, and you can never be certain that the previous owners still do not have duplicate keys in their possession. A key safety question to ask a realtor is how long it has been since the locks were changed. The most prudent course of action is to have new locks installed prior to moving in.

What are the neighbors like?

There’s a good chance the realtor has had some contact with the neighbors, so be sure to ask questions regarding what they do for a living, whether they seem to be sociable, etc.

Are the appliances in good working order?

Another of the vital safety questions to ask before buying a house concerns the condition of the household appliances. You can learn a lot on your own just by testing the burners on the stove, running the water taps and exploring the inside of the refrigerator.

Are window coverings included?

Ask your realtor whether the curtains, blinds or drapes are staying with the home. If the previous owner plans to take them, you will need to replace them to prevent passersby from seeing inside.

When was the last mold test?

Mold is a common problem in many homes these days. Another important question to ask before moving into a house is whether a mold test has been conducted within the past five to 10 years.

How many fire extinguishers are on the premises?

Every home should have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen as well as other higher fire-risk areas such as basements and attics.

Are the smoke detectors working properly?

Smoke detectors can be lifesavers in the event of a fire. It’s a good idea to test them yourself to ensure they’re working properly, as well as to change the batteries prior to moving in.

Does the home have a video surveillance system?

Yet another important question to ask before moving into a new home is whether it has any type of video surveillance system already installed.

What, if any, additional security devices are included?

Ask your realtor about the existence of additional security devices such as motion sensors and access control products.

Contact Titan Alarm, Inc. to learn more about the safety questions to ask a realtor, particularly those pertaining to home security systems.

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Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.