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All houses have issues. The question is whether you can deal with them.
Roof. Probably the number one item on a house. Asphalt shingle roofs have a lifespan of about 20 years, and you will have to replace it. If you have a minor leak, it will lead to additional cost if not addressed promptly. If you are purchasing a house and the roof is 15 years old or more, have a replacement plan in mind.
Foundation is another big one. If the house you are looking at has foundation problems, look at another house.
Less important, because they are less costly:
Appliances, including HVAC/furnace. Typically another 20 year set of items. With HVAC (heat pumps and/or air conditioners), watch out for anything that runs on R-22 refrigerant (freon). It is no longer manufactured in the US as of 2020, and you can only get reclaimed R-22 now, which is rare and costly. Because R-22 is incompatible with newer refrigerants, replacing a heat pump or air conditioner also requires replacement of refrigerant lines. Basically, anything that runs on R-22 is basically waiting for replacement fairly soon.
House systems are tricky. I mean plumbing, both potable water and sewer, as well as electric. Typically nothing goes wrong with this stuff for 30-50 years or more, but if it does, it can be pricy. If you are a bit paranoid, have your sewer line scoped with a camera to check for roots or bowing in the line. Unlikely, but it will need to be addressed eventually. Electrical and potable water is typically solid. You may need a bit of work here and there, but complete systems replacements are usually reserved for major remodels.
Finishes. Flooring, walls, ceilings. Mostly this is pretty evident. You like it or you don't, and it is rarely an urgent need. Painting solves a lot, and if you hate your flooring, tackle it a room or two at a time.
Pretty much after that, who cares? Your bannisters may be loose, any home inspector is going to call out pickets on stairways and decks as being too far apart and warn you children are going to get their heads stuck. Sooner or later a door knob or two are going to fail, and every house has a mystery switch and an electrical outlet that does not work. Will your driveway need to be replaced one day? Maybe, but it can wait years. Draughty windows? Pricy to replace, costs a bit more in energy, but you can live with it. Slow draining sink? Get a plunger. Closet door doesn't close tightly? Doesn't worry most people.
Home inspectors are always going to point out something that "isn't up to code". Take a look at those things, but don't worry too much. Building codes changes periodically, and there is no requirement for houses to bring anything up to current code, nor does construction done to outdated codes prevent sales. It just means that if you do work on that part of the house, you will need to bring it up to current code, whatever that may be.
Any house is going to have personal irritations that you only discover years later. Some people hate sloped driveways (justifiable IMHO). Other people dislike the streetlight that shines into the bedroom. I am at war with the blackberry briars I did not notice when I purhased the house. This stuff also falls into the live with it category, then do not repeat that mistake when you move.
Wow. Good advice above. I would say make sure the house sits higher than the road. The roof should be in good condition with at least ten years or more to go before the need to replace. Driveway should be in good shape; it’s costly to replace. Neighbors should have neat yards. Regarding what direction the house faces here in the north it’s best to face the sun, or generally face south. The sun melts the snow and ice in the driveway.
The worst thing might be not knowing what is in your neighborhood, whether it is a dump nearby, or train tracks, or a shooting range, etc. Make sure you are not low and prone to flooding or a wet basement; find high ground.
Nothing.
1. Understood the zoning close and nearby in the big city.
2. Took weekly photos while it was under construction.
3. Eleven years later, still happy.
Mistake I learned from the hard way once, and only once. Really has nothing to do with the condition / features of the home itself.
Pay attention to the neighbors! If you see a privacy fence, try to see the lawn behind it. Might see a dirt track of a large dog that would suggest he/she is left outside a lot and may be a real pain to live next to. That was a lesson we learned in 2006. Loved the house, was focused on the house, and was greeted by a large Rottweiler hiding behind that fence shortly after we moved in around 1:00 am. Thing would scream it's head off at anything that moved. Turn the light on in the bathroom....bark. Walk across the living room window to the kitchen, bark bark bark. Hated those people too. Came to realize all of the neighbors hated them, and not much could be done about it. Later realized that is why the previous owners moved. I have never made that mistake twice.
First rule in residential real estate - the nest can only be as nice as the tree it sits in.
I wish I hadn't bought a clapboard siding house (150 years old in a historic district) that I had to paint over and over or risk the wood rotting and couldn't vinyl side because of restrictions. Now I'm looking to move before it needs it again!
Power outages. Some areas are notorious for frequent outages, and there is really nothing you can do about it. Complain to the utility and they'll just say its on their list of areas that need to be upgraded. Unfortunately it never seems to happen.
Its around $15k to get a whole house generator, if you have natural gas. Not cheap but sometimes required. If you need a large propane tank, it costs more. Literally the next town away could have extremely reliable power/internet, while your town could get hit with monthly power outages.
How would you find out about frequent outages though? Will the utility share that information? You could ask around random people but not many pay attention if it's been going on a long time.
How would you find out about frequent outages though? Will the utility share that information? You could ask around random people but not many pay attention if it's been going on a long time.
That's a tricky one. Hopefully the power company would give an honest answer because IME it can vary from neighbor to neighbor. My parents' house was in a suburb. They rarely lost power. The west side of their very deep lot was a boundary for electrical service and there was a transformer in a neighbors yard. That transformer seemed to have a lot of issues. Many times the neighbors adjacent to them on the west would lose power while my parents' house and those to the east were fine. We always knew when those immediately to the west lost power because one neighbor's whole house generator would kick on. So in a scenario like that a prospective buyer asking around could get two entirely different answers from homeowners next to each other.
First rule in residential real estate - the nest can only be as nice as the tree it sits in.
Love this...and it is so true! The one caveat to it is that things change...and they can decide to do that after you buy. The future isn't totally predictable. BTDT.
Does your house have issues that could have been revealed if you look looked into it more deeply or any kind of red flag you ignored…hired a better inspector? We are currently looking for a house in the PNW and trying to avoid a money pit or regret by not noticing the less obvious red flags.
I do wish I'd gotten a second opinion through a second inspection.
But the main thing is that we were surprised by the amount of late evening and early morning noise.
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