When you purchase a new home, you want to make sure that it is safe for you and your loved ones to inhabit. Unfortunately, if you are not careful, you could find yourself dealing with major health and safety issues that can severely impact your ability to live comfortably in your home. Make sure to have a new home inspected before you buy it, or you could find yourself dealing with safety problems like these:
- Code violations
- One of the biggest issues you may deal with when trying to purchase real estate is code violations. Every municipality has its own local rules on how homes need to be built, along with state and federal regulations intended to make sure every home is as safe as possible to inhabit. However, due to improper construction or illegal renovations, your new home might not be up to code, increasing the risks of safety problems.
- Hidden structural damage
- After a fire, flood, or other major disaster, it is typical for buildings to suffer structural damage that can make it dangerous to inhabit. Normally, this damage is repaired after the disaster, but it is possible for some damage to go hidden long after the disaster that caused it. These hidden defects can lead to safety problems that increase the risk of harm to anyone living inside the building.
- Mold and mildew
- Mold and mildew love to grow in dark and damp places where they can grow without being disturbed. This means that any part of your home (such as your basement, attic, or boiler room) that suffers from leaks or flooding might lead to a persistent mold problem. Not only can this cause damage to your home and property, certain types of mold can even threaten your health, particularly if you have pre-existing respiratory problems.
- Toxic building materials
- These days, construction companies are careful to ensure they do not use toxic building materials in the construction of people’s homes. However, many older buildings still contain materials that can cause harm to people exposed to them, such as asbestos or lead. Having these materials in your home may lead to serious safety problems, as well as major expenses if you need to remove these materials.
- Defective utilities
- People are reliant on a large number of utilities in their home to ensure they are safe and comfortable. Boilers, HVAC units, water pipes, gas pipes, electrical systems, and other utilities can all wind up being defective, however. Parts may be old and worn-down to the point of being unsafe, or they may be defective from the beginning and in need of replacement. Being aware of these safety problems before you agree to purchase real estate is essential to avoiding major costs, as well as a risk of danger to yourself and your loved ones.
At David J. Lorber & Associates, PLLC, we assist clients throughout New York who are looking to buy or sell real estate. We will guide you through the process and help you minimize your legal and financial risks. Call us at (631) 750-0900 or contact us online to schedule your Free consultation at our Setauket office.
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