Dont Get Stuck Having To Deal With The Sellers Household Hazardous Wastes - After You Move In!

I have a confession to make!

I was just outside with Frankie (my dog) and noticed I stillhad an old car battery sitting by the foundation, at therear of my house.

Yes, I'll admit it's not right, and quite environmentallyinsensitive for me to have it there. However, even though Iknow I should have disposed of it by now, that fact is, it'sstill there. Seeing it there prompted me to think about, ifI was selling my home, how easy something like that would beto 'forget' about and leave behind - for the buyers to dealwith.

It also prompted me to recall the 3-4 spent automobiletires, and rims, that I found in a basement closet - afterwe had moved in!

It reminded me of all the paint cans, stain cans and a hostof other household hazardous waste that was left behind forme to deal with and dispose of properly.

All innocent looking, sitting there on a shelf or in acorner of the basement, in a closet, under a sink, in theattic, or in the garage - stored neatly between the wallstuds. There are lots of places such household hazardouswastes (HHW) can be found.

I don't believe they were left here intentionally or withmalice. Rather, I imagine they were left here as a gestureof goodwill - that perhaps it's something I would be able touse. Problem is, the sellers likely hadn't used any of thestuff during the waning years they were here. What made themthink I would use the stuff?

Luckily, the municipality I live in has a "HouseholdHazardous Waste Collection Program" that homeowners can takeadvantage of without having to pay. I urge you to check outthe link above and see exactly what qualifies or isconsidered to be HHW - I guarantee it will be an eye-openerfor you.

Although I was able to dispose of the typical HHW withoutbeing charged, I did have to take time out on the designatedSaturday to do something that the sellers should have done -before they left.

I also didn't get out of it without having to pay anything.I was required to pay for the disposal of the tires theseller had so graciously left behind since those needed togo directly to the landfill.

Which brings me to the point of this post...

Not many homebuyers even think about this when they'relooking at a home.

This is one of the reasons why, as a prospective - andeventually serious buyer - you should not be simply herdedthrough the home you're looking to purchase like lost sheep.

You should insist on spending as much time as you can,investigating as many nooks and crannies as you can. Takenotice of what you see and really process it. Seeing tiresin the basement isn't an uncommon occurrence. But assumingthey won't be there after you buy the home is.

Don't assume anything!

Be specific in your questions and concerns - no matter howtrivial you think they may be.

I strongly urge you to visit: http://www.homebuyerdefenseguide.com/home-buying-strategies/hazwaste.html

and see what HHW consists of, become familiar with the manyitems included as HHW and what you will need to do to dispose of any that is left behind.

Maybe I'll bring that battery to the landfill right now...

Become a real estate insider and don't be at the mercy ofunreliable real estate agents or untruthful sellers.

Discover just how easy it is to get all the information youneed on the home you want to buy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Don Berthiaume gives you the questions you need to ask when buying a home. For more details, and for a free 4-part mini-course in home buying, visit this site now: Home Buying Guide