What to Look for When Buying a Home

Avoiding the Chameleon Fixer-Upper

It’s still a buyer’s market. If you’re looking for a home, the selections available are practically endless these days. One thing to be aware of, however, is that several sellers may be desperate to do so, which means there may be issues with the home that they try to conceal or fail to disclose, leaving you, the new home owner, with a lot of repairs on your plate. This can be especially true for an older house.

There are, of course, always indicators, but sometimes even professionals can mistake a serious problem for normal wear and tear. As you examine your options, utilize these tell-tale signs to help make sure you’re not walking into years of repairs when the home of your dreams turns out to be a chameleon fixer-upper.

Foundational Issues

Everyone thinks of a crack in the wall when there are foundational issues. While cracks can certainly lead to a problem, and big cracks mean big issues, some foundational problems can’t be seen with the naked eye. Here are a few other indicators to watch for as you house shop:

• Doors or windows that don’t open or close properly
• Unlevel floors
• Cracks starting at the corner of doors/windows and taking a diagonal track
• Gaps between the ceiling and upper kitchen cabinets, or cabinet doors that won’t close
• Leaks around the fireplace
• Gaps in the corners of fascia trim

Water Damage

When it comes to older homes, water is the number one cause of damage. But that doesn’t mean it will be as obvious as some black mold somewhere (and even that isn’t often visible without digging into the walls). Indicators that a house may have underlying water damage may include the following:

• Clogged or disconnected gutters/downspouts (always a good idea to get a record of how often they’re cleaned)
• Roof shingles that are missing or damaged (may indicate a leak)
• Trim boards that are loose or even showing signs of rot
• A sloping grade toward the perimeter of the home may indicate settling and water in the basement/foundation

Outdated Electrical System

They don’t make ‘em like the used to… thank goodness. Without any intervention, older homes do not have the electrical capacity to hold all the wattage of today’s appliance heavy homeowners. Think about it – before it was just a couple of lamps and a radio in the house – nowadays there’s a TV in every room, a cappuccino machine, blender, coffee maker, toaster and fridge in the kitchen and ten different hair appliances in the bathroom.

This is certainly something you need to look for if a home you’re interested in is more than 40 years old. The following may indicate that the electrical system needs updating, and bringing it to code can get expensive:

• The fuse box or electrical panel has a capacity of less than 100 amps (100 or more amps are necessary for modern homes)
• Aluminum wiring (discontinued because it’s a fire hazard)
• An inordinate amount of extension cords and adapters in use by the current owners
• Rooms without outlets
• Burn marks on switches or outlets

Not Energy Efficient

Many older homes were not made to be as energy efficient as new buildings. For example, there may be inadequate insulation in the walls, as standards for insulation have increased in recent years (turn-of-the-century homes may not have insulation at all in the walls). Additionally, the HVAC system may not be of the capacity necessary to handle the size of the home. Basically, you need to ask questions to see what steps the previous owners have taken to update the energy efficiency of the home or if it would be worth the investment to go ahead and buy and do some updates of your own.

Things the Seller can Hide Easily

Sellers that are desperate to do so may work to make the home look more presentable before you come to see it – meaning they’re hiding issues that may cause problems for you down the road if you buy. For example, sellers may:

• Clean up rodent droppings and indications of other infestations
• Filling in cracks in the walls that indicate foundational issues
• Oil floorboards to stop them from creaking (another indication of foundational issues)
• Painting the ceiling to cover leak stains

Have an Inspection Clause

Best practice is to first thoroughly examine the disclosures provided by the seller and ask yourself if any of them may indicate another problem with the home no mentioned. If you’re just in love with the home and want to put in an offer, make sure that your offer comes complete with an inspection clause. This basically means that if the inspection of the home turns up any issues, either the seller agrees to fix them, or you have the right to walk away from the contract without consequence.

And, if you just can’t pass up that beautiful turn-of-the-century home with lots of character, but it still needs some work, contact HA Construction to help with the updates, renovations and repairs. And make it the home of your dreams.