Five Reasons to Re-Think Buying a House
November 5, 2009 by Katelyn Thomas
Filed under Home & Living
So, you’re house hunting and you come across the house of your dreams. And the price? It’s a steal! Before you sign on the dotted line for 30 years of mortgage payments, you may want to make sure you aren’t buying a 30 year rehab project you didn’t plan on doing! Here are five reasons to re-think buying a house:
- Water in the basement or signs of water damage. (Or backed up septic mess. Ick!) If that water has been there long, it may have weakened the house foundation. Even if the foundation is okay, all of that water may have created a mold mess. I’ve noticed over the years that houses with water in the basement that I’ve looked at seem to go on the market over and over again because of problems the buyers discover after they move in.
- Weak foundations. As far as I’m concerned, structural problems are one of the worst things to fix.
- Obvious leaks. If the roof is in really bad shape, you may have mold in the walls, weak staircases and a host of other scary problems. I once decided not to buy an old farmhouse after my inspector told me that the entire house, including rooms the owner had just remodeled, was filled with mold and that the staircase was verging on collapse.
- Lousy neighbors. If the people next door are rude, dirty, or doing drug deals with shady customers when you’re looking at a house, they’re not going to turn into wonderful folks after you purchase your new place. You might be able to live with bad neighbors for a year, but what about ten or fifteen years later?
- A bad past. Even if it doesn’t bother you, your house’s past may bother the next buyer. There is a sad house in a nearby neighborhood that is literally falling apart because no one would buy it because of its tragic past. Unless someone comes in from out of town, doesn’t talk to anyone and buys the house, it will probably end up going under the wrecking ball.
Do you have any reasons to avoid buying a house?
Photo: K. Thomas
Yes! If you see a lot cracks above doors, etc., then the house has likely had major foundation issues which may or may not have been fixed properly. It’s really tough to make floors level again in a house like that. Forget buying doors that aren’t custom… Not everyone is forthcoming on disclosures. Sometimes you learn interesting stuff about your house by talking with the neighbors. Of course, they don’t volunteer that info until you’ve bought the house if they’re friends with the sellers. I’ve vowed to get TWO inspectors before I ever buy another house
PS – take a level with you, and look at all windows too.
Poor water pressure – makes lousy showers and toilets that don’t flush properly