(NAPSI)—If you’ve been thinking, or even just dreaming, about buying a new home but “renophobia—the fear of having to do renovations—is holding you back, you may be glad to hear two things.

1. You’re not alone. Often, prospective homebuyers, particularly millennials, want a turnkey home but can’t afford one in their desired area, and a fear of renovating means they remain renters. At the same time, many older homes have the potential to become a dream house with a little TLC.

2. Technological advancements can make homebuying easier and less expensive.

You can now know just what renovations and repairs a house you’re considering will need, even before you visit it. That’s because Intero Real Estate Services (interorealestate.com) has partnered with Kukun, an online platform offering digital solutions that help homeowners navigate the home remodeling process. Through the widget, you get real-time home renovation estimates and return on investment information for the online listings. You can see which renovations you’d like to do, how much they will cost and what the property will be worth once they’re complete. You can even see which other homes in the area have had renovations and which construction companies or contractors were used.

What’s more, there are easy-to-use tools that help home renovators manage the process from beginning to end and control the time and money involved along the way. It’s simple to do. You can access the system through an app on your phone as well as the widget and get valuable data as you walk through a property.

What To Look For

While you’re doing that, think about these seven things.

1. Is the building structurally sound? Look for big cracks, dampness around baseboards, and sagging walls. Check the window frames for cracked paint. Look at the ceiling for cracks, flaky plaster or water stains.

2. Are the rooms and closets big enough? Are there enough bathrooms? Are the ceilings a good height for you? Will your family and furniture fit comfortably?

3. Inspect the plumbing. Check the water pressure. Turn on all the faucets and flush all the toilets. See whether the pipes are insulated and make sure they’re not lead. Look under the sinks for leaks, water damage or mold.

4. Check out the basement and the attic. How easy is access? Is there much storage space? Could it be converted into extra rooms? Is there insulation?

5. Learn about the neighborhood. How are the schools? How close is shopping? What’s the transportation like in the area? Is it under a flight path?

6. Look to the layout. How easy is it to get from room to room and from indoors to out?

7. It’s a hot idea to be sure the heating and cooling systems work.

Learn More

Visit www.mykukun.com for further information and an Estimator Tool or download the Kukun Mobile app on iOS and Android devices.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)