After several years of diligently saving money, I’m nearly ready to purchase my first home. Because I’ve been thinking about buying a home for so long, I know exactly what I want my house to look like. I desire a place that has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. I also need a quiet space to set up my home office in. I want a massive, walk-in closet in my master bedroom. My master bathroom needs to have double vanities, a tiled, walk-in shower, and a Jacuzzi tub. On this blog, I hope you will discover how to set priorities during your new home search. Enjoy!
A New Home Search
Three Signs That "Fixer Upper" Needs Too Much Fixing
Elli Jokela
If you're pretty handy, buying a fixer-upper can be a good investment. Put a year or two of work into it, and you'll have a nice home that you can either continue living in or sell for a profit. But it's very important that you don't get in over your head with a fixer upper that needs more work than you can muster. Here's a look at three problems that are not often worth your while to fix. If you see a home with one of these issues, you're better off walking away and looking at other homes for sale.
A buckling roof.
A roof with peeling or missing shingles is one thing. Put a new roof on the home, and you're good to go! But if the roof has reached the point that it's buckling or has noticeable dents in it, then you'll want to walk away. Buckling means that a roof has been in disrepair for a long time. Water has been seeping in past the shingles and damaging the wooden underlayment to the point that it's caving in and decaying. There's probably a lot of water damage in the attic that you'll need to repair, the home may have mold issues, and it may take thousands upon thousands of dollars to make it a safe, healthy place to live again.
Big cracks in the foundation.
A little crack here and there may just be a sign of settling. You can have a foundation expert or home inspector look at a home with small cracks -- they'll tell you if it something you need to worry about. However, if the cracks are large -- such as more than a foot long or wider than a pencil, you're best off walking away. Such cracks are expensive to repair. Plus, they're often a sign that the home was not built on sturdy ground. More cracks are likely to develop in the future, leading to the need for more costly repairs.
Standing water in the basement.
A little moisture is one thing. Plug in a dehumidifier, make sure the sump pump is working, have the walls sealed, and all should be well. But if you're noticing actual puddles of water in the basement, this may indicate a larger problem. If there is a sump pump, the basement is probably not properly graded to drain the water towards the pump. Though this is not all that hard to fix, all of those years of pooled water have probably caused mold damage and decay throughout the basement and foundation. These issues could make the home unsafe or uninhabitable.
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