Are you getting ready to close on a home? There are a few details to take care of before you sign on the dotted line. It will be up to you to do all that you can to make sure you are getting a good deal. This means making sure every area of the home is up to speed. Here are 5 things to check on before you close.

1. Make Sure Your Roof is in Shape

One of the first things you will need to check on is the roof. You don’t want this vital part of your home caving in on you a week after you have bought the place. You can arrange for a convenient and cost-effective roof inspection to be done on the home before you agree to close. This is the best way to be sure about a good deal.

You can ask the owner of the home to arrange for a full roof inspection. This is a detail that they may have already thought of in advance. If this is the case, they should be able to show you a certification of the results. The roof should be certified free from holes, leaks, broken or missing tiles, and other errors.

2. Make Sure the Bathroom is in Shape

The next thing you will want to check on is the bathroom. Depending on the age of the home you are buying, you should have at least two of them. They need to be in the best possible shape. The sinks, faucets, and tubs need to be clean and operating in good order. All needed repairs should already have been made.

The room itself should be tidy, clean, and as spacious as possible. You don’t want to feel cramped as if you are showering in a submarine berth. The owner should already have painted it or added new wallpaper and tiles. Any leaks from pipes or other areas should be taken care of before you agree to a final deal.

3. All Utilities Need to Be Transferred

Another key detail to take care of before the final home closing deal is signed is to make sure all utilities are transferred. It’s never a good idea to continue on someone else’s watch or pay scale. You want to make sure that you are paying for the utilities that you actually make use of. All of these details need to be hammered out in advance.

4. Make Sure You Have a Clear Title

One of the most crucial details to be sure of is that you have a clear title to the property. If you are buying a home through a real estate agent, this detail should already have been taken care of. Your agent will handle all of the many tedious pages of paperwork in order to be sure the house is transferred to you.

However, if you plan to buy a home from a private owner, the onus may be on you. You want to be sure that a “For Sale By Owner, As Is” arrangement, doesn’t come back to bite you. Make sure that every detail of the sale is in good order. This includes doing research to make sure the owner has the right to sell the home.

5. Check All of the Door and Windows

Perhaps the last thing you will need to do is to make sure all of the doors and windows are in good order. You don’t want windows breaking or doors flying open in the middle of a bad thunderstorm.

This is crucial if you are buying an older home. You want to be sure that old, leaky windows and doors won’t drive up your utilities. They should first be replaced by more efficient models.

Don’t Close a Deal Before You’re Ready

There can be lots of reasons why you may feel the urge to close a deal in a huge hurry. But this is a temptation that you will need to do all that you can to resist. A bit of patience can be its own reward in a case like this. It can give an owner a good reason to sweeten a deal by saving you time, energy, and money.

5 Things to Make Sure Your Home Has Before Closing by Maggie Bloom