ok, so im searching for a house to rent. im hoping to be into one by next month. this is my 1st time searching for a house and was wondering if you guys could lend a hand.

what are some things to look for? i mean, when you go buy a bike/car you check certain things, ask certain questions. so what are some things to keep a sharp eye out for when searching for a house....im talking about when i go to walk the house and take a look at one im interested in.

for example, i found a SWEET 3bdr 3bth w/ a 2 car garage, and a workshop (how sweet would THAT be for working on me/my g/f's bikes!!!! the house was built in '69 but has since been fully renovated.


any help, DEFINATELY appreciated

 

Check out the heating/AC unit make sure it is big enough for the house and doesn't cost you big $$ to run it.

We rented a house (+3 yrs ago)with a small ac unit for a two story house and our bill was $300 - 500 a month in the summer and the land lord would not fix it or buy another unit.

 

You don't really have to look for much if your renting. Energy effecient heat/AC/appliances are always good. The newer the windows, the less the heat bill. A washer/dryer included is a bonus. I don't mind doing the yardwork, but there is a certain point when the yard is just TOO big. A bigger house is great but it means bigger bills. I try to be realistic about the amount of space that I need. 2-car with opener is great. I actually will sacrifice on the house to get a better garage and a better neighborhood.

Make sure that the lease does not put extra responsibility on you or sound shady. Sometimes a seemingly nice landlord will try and slip something through. Read through it, and make sure they aren't trying to get you to pay for a roof or something. Most landlords are cool, but there is always a bad apple.

Around here, you have to check for flood areas if the house has a basement. It's been really wet the last couple years, and if you're in a flood plain, your house WILL flood. I don't want that headache. That's just around here though, I don't know what your local conditions are.

Get renter's insurance. A lot more can go wrong in a house than an apartment. You don't want to be stuck with a bill in case something does happen. It's usually like 20 bucks a month.

 

thanks RCR, actually i work for an HVAC company, so that should help!

 

How well does it burn?

 

I just rented my first house starting at the end of Nov. I would say the main things to look at are the appliances. Check the water heater, man date and condition. Stove/oven/dishwasher. You may want to look into what the house may or may not have. The house I'm renting it pretty old, so there is no garbage disposal or garage door opener. Now, these may seem like simple luzuires, but when you don't have them it does add up and you will notice. I plan to install both, even though I don't own the house. Also check your heater/furnace. We had a gas leak on our heater and was doubling my gas bill each month, but as soon as we had the energy co come out the landlord had to fix it b/c they shut our gas off. You can check the foundation and what not to make sure the house is not going to fall on you, but since you are just renting, longterm stuff like that is not as big of an issue if you are not buying. The rest of the stuff is really just preferences. We got lucky and found a house with a wetbar. chicka-chicka-waa!

 

See if you can get a 'rent to own' thing happening. When times are bad in the housing market, sometimes people will agree to this clause. Usually people will 3 or 4 houses near foreclosure are flexible and would rather rent the house than wait to sell it in 3 years when the market bounces back.

 

i don't have time to post much now...but i am in the process of buying my 3rd property...had a house, sold that, bought a condo...keeping that and gonna rent it...and buying my second house (offer pending) on a short sale....my father-in-law and brother-in-law are carpenters so i have learned what to look for....

i will post more on the weekend....but essentially...you should check structure....water heater....look for some electrical things...etc...some of this won't apply as much as you are renting, but you don't want to deal with the headache if some of that stuff is bad...

 

sounds good everybody and i really appreciate the help on this! im nervous....never done all this stuff before.

 

drop by at an odd time like later in the evening when most of the neighbors are home (and on a weekend) and make sure there aren't any wacko neighbors you're going to have problems with.