20 THE BEACON www . coshoctonbeacontoday . com MAY 17 , 2017

By Jen Jones

COSHOCTON - Searching for a new home can be an intimidating and time-consuming task . You are full of dreams of a new home , but there are so many things to think about that you can feel overwhelmed . Jon Cotterman , owner of Cotterman Inspections , offers several tips on things you need to check when you go looking for a new home .

The location of the home is one of the first things you should consider when looking at a house . Consider the school district and how close you are to your work and stores . Once you have found a home in a great location , be sure to check these items on the house .

• Foundation . This is especially important if the house is on a hill . Look over the foundation and check for cracks in the basement walls . You also need to make sure all of the walls are straight and there is no buckling .

• Water Heater . Check the age of the

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water heater . They tend to last 10-15 years . You also need to see how far the water heater is from the bathroom . The farther it is away , the longer you will have to wait for hot water and the more energy you will use to heat your water as you bathe .

• Water Pressure . When you are in the kitchen , turn on the faucet and then go flush the toilet . If the flow of water slows down , the home does not have good water pressure . This means you may not be able to wash dishes or do laundry easily when someone is taking a shower . Iron pipes will gradually corrode and close in , reducing water pressure .

• Electrical System . While a detailed electrical system inspection should be done by a home inspector , you can look to see if the house has fuses or a breaker box . Updated homes have breaker boxes . It is possible , though , for a home to have a breaker box and still have old wiring . A simple tester that can be purchased for around $ 5 will tell you if the outlets are properly grounded or if the outlets were

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“ We Always Have Time For You ”

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305 W RUSSELL AVE , WEST LAFAYETTE

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SAT ., MAY 20 ^TH 11:30AM-12:30PM Spacious updated 3 bedroom home in West Lafayette . 3 bedrooms , 1.5 baths , kitchen with breakfast nook and a combined living / dining room with original decorative wood floors . The first floor bedroom and laundry room make this a must see home .

RICE AUCTION-REALTY LTD updated without using new wiring . The outlets need to be grounded or the surge protectors won ’ t do as they are supposed to and you could lose appliances when a surge does occur .

• Roof . Ask the homeowner when the roof was replaced . You should see shingles that are lying flat and not bubbling . Roofs usually last about 25 years .

• Furnace . Again , ask the homeowner how old the furnace is . Furnaces that have plastic pipe are high efficiency units . You can also check the age of the furnace by writing the serial number down and checking the manufacturer ’ s website .

• Age of Appliances .

• Bathrooms . Make sure the bathrooms are vented to the outside to allow moisture to leave the house .

• Insulation . Check the attic for insulation . It is recommended that attics have 12 – 18 ” of insulation because most of your heat in the winter escapes through the roof and in the summer , heat will seep into your home the same way .

$ 99,900

PRESENTED BY PEDDICORD RICE AUCTION REALTY , LTD .

316 North 3rd St ., Coshocton www . peddicordrice . com

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Very affordable two story home in Roscoe Village . Newer kitchen , newer appliances , new windows , siding , roof , 2-3 bedroom , 1.5 bath . Original woodwork , full basement .

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• Windows . Are they replacement windows ? Do they open and close properly ? Single pane windows are not energy efficient at all . If the windows are dual pane , check for condensation between the panes as this indicates the window has lost its seal . ( This will only be apparent on extremely hot or cold days when the temperature of the house is drastically different than outside .)

• Doors . Do they close tightly and open without rubbing on the floor ? Do they have weather stripping ? Do they have dead bolts ?

• Floors . Are the floors even ? Are they vinyl , tile or carpet ? While this isn ’ t a safety issue , you need to think about the cost of replacing the floors if you don ’ t like the type of floor installed .

• Gutters / downspouts . When you are walking around outside , make sure there are gutters and downspouts on the house . Also check that the yard slopes away from the house as water is a house ’ s worst enemy . SEE TIPS ON PAGE 23

MLS # 3882031

www . oldetownrealtyoh . com 224 N . 4th St . Coshocton

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