bobosensei
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Post by bobosensei on Mar 21, 2018 6:52:24 GMT -5
I've been looking at houses with my realtor. So far I've only had 2 that I was interested in making an offer. The first one was way over priced and had all the worst schools in the county so I decided to pass after I saw the comps. There were a lot of things about the yard I didn't like and the cons outweighed the pros. The house I saw yesterday I felt pretty good about, but on the disclosures it lists some things I'm not sure whether I should be concerned about. The house was built in 2002, but the furnace/AC is 13 years old. The math doesn't add up so I'm not sure if the furnace/AC was replaced for some reason when it was 2 years old. There was a power surge that blew the electrical panels on the furnace as well as the other appliances. There was an insurance claim and the panels were replaced on the furnace and a whole house surge protection system was installed. The roof is 7 years old. The whole thing was replaced after a hail storm, but I figure if there haven't been issues in 7 years it is probably fine. Plus it seems nice that there is a newer roof. There is a note about a water damaged window that hasn't been repaired, and I wonder what that is a sign of as far something that might not have been done correctly with overhang or gutters. What could cause that and what does it cost to fix? Is it just putting in a new window? Also the hot water heater doesn't have a drip pan or extension tank which are requirements on ones sold after 2006. I'm not sure if this should mean anything to me. I don't know what an extension tank is. The attic stairs are damaged, but I figure that might be something I can repair myself, and I'm not super concerned as the house is so big I don't expect to need attic storage.
I know two people with smaller homes than this that just spent 12k-15k on a new furnace and AC. I don't know the expected life span, but would obviously rather not have to put 15k into the house in the first couple of years. Especially since there also other things I need to do like put up a fence, and I might want to switch the counter tops from laminate to something else. Plus the floor is "engineered hardwood" the realtor says "oh, it's real hardwood but with a laminate finish", but I don't love the floors.
I really am trying to be reasonable with expectations. People keep saying I'll know when I find the right home, but honestly, I'm not sure I will. I don't tend to be someone that makes gut decisions or feeling based decisions. I look at all the potential good and bad and try to make the best decision I can based on facts. House hunting is starting to feel exhausting because of all the pressure I feel to do research. And with my price range (under 310k) and the areas I'm looking the inventory seems to move quickly. I've had to start taking time off work during the week to see homes because waiting til the weekend the places I wanted to see were all under contract by the time I could look at them. So I don't have time to hem and haw. The realtor says make offers and sort it out during the contingency period. Do I just need to get over myself? This will be the first house I've owned so any tips and advice about the process are appreciated!
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tractor
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Post by tractor on Mar 21, 2018 7:50:45 GMT -5
A house is a huge investment, I would be hesitant to just jump on something. The electrical issues you described could have been from a lightning strike, but the window issue, on such a new house could be a sign of poor construction. Is there any way to identify who built the house and do a little checking to see what their reputation is?
I donβt know what market your in, but in some places they are throwing up houses so fast the quality suffers.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Mar 21, 2018 10:08:22 GMT -5
This house was built in 1996 (so only 6 years older), and so far we have replaced all the things you have mentioned.....except the windows and electrical panel. We are on the third hot water heater, looking at having to get the house resided, and painted for the second time this summer. The garage door motor has been replaced, the furnace was replaced, the roof was replaced and the gutters redone last summer (likely part of the siding problem). Windows are still good though, but it is hard to know why one window failed if the others are ok. To me, this suggests it is not the window, but either how it was installed, or not protected.
You are are looking at a 16 year old house, and it has reached the point of time where things are wearing out. Things used to last 25-30 years, no longer. We have the original appliances, and are replacing as they fail. So far, only the dishwasher.
The floors and counters can easily be changed (yes, weβve done these too.....and still need to do more floors).
ETA: also got the fireplace rebuilt last summer. The roofers said it was in horrible shape when they were up there putting on the new roof.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Mar 21, 2018 10:18:48 GMT -5
Many of those questions you have can be answered by a good home inspector and a review of the disclosure statements. Not all inspectors are equal. Get some referrals and get a copy of their report. The best inspectors in my opinion, are retired general contractors or building officials with at least 10 years of experience. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an agency that regulates them but membership in ASHI is a good sign. Also get samples of the reports they write. The best have a combination of check list (so they don't miss anything) and narrative (to give perspective). Go with the inspector during the inspection. You will learn a lot and s/he will tell you stuff which can't be put in the report such as the estimated life span of components like A/C, heaters, et cetera. As you've already noted, all houses (like people!) have problems. The aging process isn't kind to properties which have not been maintained. I'm also a little concerned about your focus on the cosmetic, such as laminate countertops. I would leave serviceable but superficial items like that alone and set aside an EF or sinking fund for higher price components which are reaching the end of their useful life. FWIW we did not change out the laminate kitchen countertops in this house until year 20 of our ownership. They looked like they were about 5 years old. The bathroom countertops were the original Formica and were probably 50 years old when we finally replaced them four years ago. They were still in good shape but wouldn't have worked with the new configuration. Good luck with the house-hunt. It is a job and can be exhausting. But you'll find what you want, just take your time.
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Mar 21, 2018 10:19:11 GMT -5
If you buy a house more than 10-12 years old, maintenance is something you will just have to accept.
Our last house was 7 years old when we bought it, and we lived in that house for 12 years. Towards the last 5 years we had to replace the HVAC system, water heater, replace the roof, change the gutters and get the fence fixed. But thats to be expected as a house ages. Maintenance is an ongoing thing on any house.
Now, the electric panel issues and window problems are not regular maintenance. That seems more like sellers not being reactive to problems.
But otherwise, unless you are buying new, there will always be costs, depending on the age of the house.
ETA: I'd be more focused on the structure and the foundation of the house than anything else.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Mar 21, 2018 11:10:29 GMT -5
Are you on a deadline to buy a house? How long have you been looking? Do you have to look during high season or can you wait to look in the fall?
I generally don't make emotionally based decisions when it comes to finances.
We looked around for about 6 months when we bought our starter home..and actually, we looked at all sorts of houses in all sorts of price points just to get a feel of what money could/would buy.
For our current house, we looked on and off for about 4 years. Part of the length of time was due to the housing run up in 2007-the first part of 2009. Houses were going for 30% over what I considered to be a reasonable value. I've never paid 30% more fore something in my life. I wasn't about to for a house.
So, we sat and waited for the bubble to pop. As it turned out, we looked at our house a few times..once before the bubble popped, and then once afterwards. The first time we walked through, the owners were getting the house ready for an estate sale. In short, we shoudn't have seen it then...Its hard to imagine a house being fixed up with a medical bed in the living room. We went back to look at it again. It was a no brainer. We knew what we wanted..it fit the bill, and after 15 minutes I was like, Here's how much we're going to make the offer for.
We also really don't care about the interior so much, in terms of flooring and what not. What was most important to us was layout and the bones. Is the space usable/workable for us?
We moved into our house and didn't put anything into it for a few years. We've been in our house for 8+ years now. All our appliances were circa early 1990s..we replaced most of them in the last 3 years. One at a time..the only one we didn't wait to break was the stove. But, it was starting to heat unevenly..The air conditioner broke two summers ago..but, again, it was circa early 1990s. The previous owners put a new roof and some new windows on the house a year or so before they sold. We do need to replace a few windows that the previous owners didn't due to costs, since the sashing is broke and can't be replaced (40 year old house)..
But. It's a house. You need to fix things. Like a car, sometimes stuff breaks.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Mar 21, 2018 11:17:36 GMT -5
Why do you want to buy a house? From the OP, it's hard to tell whether you really want to own a home, with all the benefits and hassles of homeownership, or whether you are feeling pressured to buy because you're tired of renting, because prices in your area are going up, or for some other reason.
I'd caution anyone against jumping into the purchase process on a house you're not completely sure about. I wasn't really in the market during the run-up in 2006 and 2007, but I know a lot of people ended up buying just because they felt they were going to miss out on something by waiting. Ten years later, they're still underwater on houses they never really wanted in the first place.
We looked for several months before buying... it was probably 20-30 houses total, but seemed like a lot more at the time. Every one of them was perfect but for one huge dealbreaker (beautiful house that reeked of cigarette smoke, beautiful house that was only set back 10' from a busy highway, etc.) It was maddening! When we did find our house, we both knew it was "it"--and while there are things I might change, given the chance, and many, many improvements we've made over the last 8 years, I never faced the "ehhhhhhh am I doing the right thing?" angst that would have happened if I'd put in offers on any of the others.
I know it's a very different situation when you're in a hot, quickly-moving market, but my only advice is not to feel pressured into buying a house you're not 100% sure about. If you're still looking a year from now and you really, really want to own a home, maybe then it's time to settle, but for now, I'd give it a bit more time (frustrating as it may be).
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Mar 21, 2018 11:36:18 GMT -5
I would take plenty of time and look at as many houses as you like. DH and I spent about 6 months finding our first house. Our current house was done in about a month, but was nearly a full time job since we were moving to a new area.
Only you can decide what are deal breakers. In our recent search we had to add some deal breakers based on location ( like flat driveway and fairly level yard).
You also have to accept that a house requires maintenance, so there might be a ton of stuff on the disclosure statement that is just normal. If a roof was replaced due to hail, well good because you got a newer roof. Hail could happen anytime. Even newer homes can have issues, so buying an older home is not always bad.
Our current home was built in 1972, but was a foreclosure / flipped house. So it has good structure with current interior finishes and new appliances except furnace and AC. It also has some things that were important to us. It has 1/2 acre but has unbuildable land behind us, so it is very private, but close to stores. I am also glad it does not have 1970s bathrooms!
Good luck.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 13:31:35 GMT -5
For the love of all things holy, if you have well water, have it broad spectrum tested for contamination... mineral and bacterial...
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Mar 21, 2018 13:59:22 GMT -5
You probably don't want to ask me. It took 5 years of shopping before I took the plunge. It helped a lot when I started working with a realtor, and he'd email me listings that matched my price/location criteria as they came in. From there, I'd figure out which ones I'd like a closer look at, and do a drive by before committing to a viewing inside. Pictures can hide a lot. It's tough shopping in a hot market, though. Make a list of must haves and would likes. I always headed to the basement to check it out first. Look closely at the walls and corners for cracks. Windows and doors for leaks. You want straight lines in the roof especially. Some things will be older if it's not a new house. I always felt that kind of stuff should have been reflected in the asking price, but maybe not so much in a hot market. I probably just wouldn't buy in a hot market, but like I said before, you probably shouldn't listen to me if you want to own a house sooner rather than later.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Mar 21, 2018 15:01:59 GMT -5
I don't believe in the idea that you'll know the perfect house when you see it. I think it's more a case if you look enough you get a better sense of what is a good buy and what isn't, and you are more willing to settle, especially if you are on a tighter budget.
Some of this does depend on the timeline that you are working with though and your budget. For example, my boss bought a new house last year. She could buy a house before she sold her old house, and so spent years searching (and had a big budget to work with) for her dream house. However, when I bought I only had about a month to look (as I was closing on my old house), and even though I was prepared to spend twice what my old house had sold for, I was still shopping in entry level homes. It's a competitive market where I live, and so I had to adjust my expectations.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Mar 21, 2018 15:20:18 GMT -5
Location. I don't want to buy a house that's in an area I don't want to be in and/or one that has poor schools. Some friends want to sell their condo and get into a house and for them that would mean moving to a different city. Like all cities there's good and bad parts and they aren't going to buy in a bad part but overall this city isn't as nice as where they are now and the schools aren't as good. Everyone's gotta do what they gotta do don't get me wrong but I don't see the point in moving to an area where I spend less on a house but have to turn around and pay more than the difference monthly to put my kids in private schools than if I would have just paid more to live in an area that has better public schools.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Mar 21, 2018 15:53:12 GMT -5
I think "you'll know when you find the right home" is short hand for - you'll know the 'right house" because it matches most or all of your "house must have" criteria while having a manageable "I need to do X to the house" points.
Have you made a list of thing qualities that your house has to have? Cause that's how you know the right house - when it has all the things you NEED your house to do to accommodate your lifestyle.
2 of the things on my NEED list were a dining room my large table and 8 chairs would fit in comfortably and NO bedrooms less than 10*10 feet. I live in an older urban neighborhood (houses 50yo and older...) If your house doesn't fit your life style - it won't ever be right.
Another high on my list thing was that I wanted a nice bright house - one with a good southern exposure and well placed windows. (I got this and haven't regretted it once in 20 years. I've been in a lot of "dark nearly windowless houses" and they are NOT for me.) The "NEEDS" list were things I could not fix... you can't easily increase the size of a room or add a room.. you cannot add windows or make windows bigger or adjust the way a house faces.
A absolutely stunning house that didn't have a big enough dining room - would have been a yearly thorn in my side (impossible to host the big family get togethers in comfort). A house with one bedroom 8 *10 (or a tandem bedroom) would have also been a never ending annoyance. (I actually wound up with a 2 bedroom house - mostly because the bedrooms where big an 11*12 and an 11*15). I sometimes wish I had the 3rd bedroom - but it's not really the annoyance 3 small bedrooms would have been.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Mar 21, 2018 15:58:39 GMT -5
We were renting a house we were comfortable in but decided it was time to look at buying something, told our elderly landlady we were looking to move unless she wanted to sell us the house we were in, she said give her some time, a couple hours later (we think she was checking with her kids to make sure they didn't want it since they had built it for her), she called back and said make her an offer. We got with a realtor we trusted, came up with a price, she accepted it, and we didn't have the hassle of moving.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 16:27:58 GMT -5
1. Several posters said a 16-year old house will naturally need some systems repaired/replaced. They are dead right on this. The newer roof is a plus as it hopefully is 20 or 30-year warranty shingles. 2. The hot water heater issue will only come into play when you eventually have to replace it. Obviously, current code requires a drip pan (basically just a galvanized metal tray under the unit to catch drips) and an extension tank (maybe it's expansion tank which is just a little auxiliary tank that contains excess pressure and reduces wear on valves). If the current heater is a good quality and the water isn't terribly hard, you may get many more years from it. Or not. 3. How long the current AC/furnace setup is good for is a total crap shoot, greatly depending on the quality of the existing unit and how well it's been maintained (was it serviced annually?) That's one item I would definitely start saving my pennies for. There's often a lot of repairs that can be done before you get to replacement time. 4. The window issue is not a terrible thing by itself depending on what they mean by "water damaged window". Most modern windows are vinyl or vinyl-clad or something similar which is hard to imagine sustaining water damage. Has the frame of the window rotted out from water? If so, you really need to get an understanding of HOW the water got to the window and whether underlying structural members like wall studs, window framing, sills, etc. are damaged as well. And water damaged areas can be a magnet for termites who just love soggy, rotten wood. 5. I don't know if this is done in your area, but many homes in my community are sold with a one-year, prepaid home warranty policy which covers the big ticket items. That might be something to talk to your realtor about. 6. If you haven't seen the movie "Money Pit", rent it. But don't freak out. First time home buying is like first time sex in many ways, Scary, painful, but liberating.
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chapeau
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Post by chapeau on Mar 21, 2018 17:01:14 GMT -5
I would also consider asking around now for home inspector recommendations. You shouldnβt just use the one your realtor recommends, remember he or she only gets paid when you buy. I think you can get a list of local inspectors from the ASHI website, then look for reviews and recommendations from there. You donβt want to be searching for a home inspector in a hot market and at the mercy of the first one to return your call.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Mar 21, 2018 17:02:59 GMT -5
Also, I wouldn't get caught up with school ratings. Because 1) you can't make district-wide assumptions. You can make school by school assumptions. I don't know how your big your district is, but ours has 40-some schools in it. That's a lot of schools to study to figure out which our good and which are not. It took me a good 5-10 hours to compare two schools. I hate to think of the time sink of vetting all the schools.
and
2) School quality/issues/make up changes. The elementary school we are districted to go to was nearly a failing school for a couple of years. In the past 3ish years, they have turned around quite a bit.
In that same six year period, I've watched another school district go from a traditionally very low at risk population (2-3% of the student body) to a 25% at risk student population. I'm betting this school district is undergoing some pretty big growing pains right now, since the district has been virtually at risk student free for about 20 years prior to the most recent years.
So..I don't know that I would make schools that big of an issue. You can't see the future to know school quality is going to change for how ever long you intend to be in your house.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Mar 22, 2018 0:35:48 GMT -5
To me, engineered hardwood floor translates into plywood with a hardwood, such as oak, top layer (not plastic laminate, such as Pergo).
Pros: less expensive than solid hardwood, does not shrink and swell as much as solid hardwood (small gaps will not open up between the boards in the winter), can be sanded and refinished.
Cons: top layer is thinner than solid hardwood, can be sanded and refinished once or twice, solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished three or four times, a deep gouge may go through the top layer and into the substrate material (through the oak and into the pine), subject to damage from a dogβs nails and the like (same is true for solid hardwood)
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bobosensei
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Post by bobosensei on Mar 22, 2018 9:09:27 GMT -5
Thanks for all the feedback y'all. I'll try to answer the big questions. I want to try to find a home in the next month, my lease is up at the end of May but I can go stay with my sister as long as I need if I am still looking. We get along well so this wouldn't be an issue. Before I met the realtor I looked at 3-4 open houses in new neighborhoods, but did not like houses so close together and knew I needed a yard for my dogs. With my realtor I've asked to see 20 homes so far, but typically a third to half of what I want to see is gone before I can get out to see it. So some of the ten or so homes I will have seen by the end of the day are not ones that I actually wanted to see but we went because we were in the area. I do want to own a home, but the timing wasn't right the last 10 years due to ex's army career and living overseas then our divorce. I'm ready to settle into a home. I like being at home (I'm an introvert), and I want to have a huge garden which I haven't been able to do while renting. And I love relaxing outside with my dogs. I also see a paid off home as an important part of retirement.
As far as cosmetic stuff my only concern is for resale later on, and maybe I am thinking of it the wrong way as in if I pay x, y has to be replaced due to regular maintenance, and I have to put z into the house to make it sell later on am I better off with a different house? I guess part of that is a crap shoot though. There really isn't a way to know what I'll have to put into a house and what return I might get if I have to sell later. My biggest requirement is a big back yard preferably already fenced. Because of the yard I want I know I am looking at an older home. I want a gas stove, but have accepted I may need to take an electric and run a gas line later on.
I have money for repairs saved up, and I'm looking into a first time homebuyer mortgage where I can put 3% down and the lender pays the PMI. The interest rate is about .5% higher, and it really sort of works out to be the same as if I paid PMI but I want to have all the extra money in my savings and investment accounts. Since I'm single again it makes me feel better to have this for emergencies.
I am just worried I am going to continue to put off making a decision, and I only have one more vacation day I am willing to split up and use for house hunting during the week. So at some point I'll be back to only going out on weekends. I don't know why I thought the process of finding the house I want was going to be fun.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Mar 22, 2018 10:22:52 GMT -5
Bobosensei, some house hunting suggestions.
First, focus on things that canβt be, or are very difficult/ expensive to have changed. The location, the size and terrain of the yard, the number and size of rooms on the house, the garage, and the like.
Then focus on mechanical systems, roof, etc. Look up some appliance life tables so you have a sense for how long things such as water heaters and furnaces generally last. If these items are close to the end of their expected life, that should be factored in when you negotiate the price.
Finally, look at the more cosmetic things. Decorating, carpet, window treatments, etc. It costs money, sometimes quite a bit of money, but, in the big picture, these types of things are relatively easy to change.
If you are considering a home more than about 20 years old, bear in mind that building materials change over time. Sometimes the materials generally available today wonβt fit to replace an old installation, donβt match, or are no longer available. My brother found this out when he needed to replace the shower faucet in his 45 year old house. Modern faucets would not fit as a direct replacement. Vintage faucets were not available. The only way to replace the faucet was to replumb the shower to take a modern faucet. That would require tearing out a good section of the shower tile. Which matched tile that ran throughout the rest of the bathroom. In that case, replacing the faucet would pretty much necessitate a complete bathroom remodel.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Mar 22, 2018 13:32:30 GMT -5
Bobosensei, some house hunting suggestions. First, focus on things that canβt be, or are very difficult/ expensive to have changed. The location, the size and terrain of the yard, the number and size of rooms on the house, the garage, and the like. Then focus on mechanical systems, roof, etc. Look up some appliance life tables so you have a sense for how long things such as water heaters and furnaces generally last. If these items are close to the end of their expected life, that should be factored in when you negotiate the price. Finally, look at the more cosmetic things. Decorating, carpet, window treatments, etc. It costs money, sometimes quite a bit of money, but, in the big picture, these types of things are relatively easy to change. If you are considering a home more than about 20 years old, bear in mind that building materials change over time. Sometimes the materials generally available today wonβt fit to replace an old installation, donβt match, or are no longer available. My brother found this out when he needed to replace the shower faucet in his 45 year old house. Modern faucets would not fit as a direct replacement. Vintage faucets were not available. The only way to replace the faucet was to replumb the shower to take a modern faucet. That would require tearing out a good section of the shower tile. Which matched tile that ran throughout the rest of the bathroom. In that case, replacing the faucet would pretty much necessitate a complete bathroom remodel. Tskeeter,
You pointed out some really good tips which I agree with.
I've bolded the one bit I don't agree with. I've been in a similar situation. Many tiles are discontinued within a year or two but that doesn't mean you have to replace everything. I had a side sprayer pipe fail in the condo as well as the shower cartridge. I couldn't match the existing wall tile but I could match the shower floor tile. So I ran a stripe of the floor tile (penny round) up the one side. Everyone liked it as it still maintained the cool 60s vintage look.
Sometimes you just need to get a little creative...
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Mar 22, 2018 14:24:57 GMT -5
I will say that the age of the house does not determine the quality of the house.
Many, many older homes are built with better materials, they are SOLID, much superior quality to the cheap materials being used these days in the newly sprouting neighborhoods.
My BIL owns a home built in 1940s. Its been remodeled extensively over the years so still has the modern touch, but he has never had issues with the structure or the roof. And then there are new houses that some of our friends bought. You can't walk on the stairs without everything creaking. Or the plumbing pipes clanking. Or hearing the loud HVAC system. I am almost scared I'll punch a hole in their kitchen cabinets if I close them suddenly.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Mar 22, 2018 14:35:26 GMT -5
I will say that the age of the house does not determine the quality of the house. Many, many older homes are built with better materials, they are SOLID, much superior quality to the cheap materials being used these days in the newly sprouting neighborhoods. My BIL owns a home built in 1940s. Its been remodeled extensively over the years so still has the modern touch, but he has never had issues with the structure or the roof. And then there are new houses that some of our friends bought. You can't walk on the stairs without everything creaking. Or the plumbing pipes clanking. Or hearing the loud HVAC system. I am almost scared I'll punch a hole in their kitchen cabinets if I close them suddenly. My BIL is a contractor and he toured some of the new houses complexes that have popped up recently. He can see things your regular buyer can't. He said all of those homes are going to have major foundational problems in 5-7 years. He said you can build fast, you can build cheap, you can build quality. You can't do all three at once. Those houses were built fast and sold cheap. The assumption is you will have sold it and moved before problems set in, never mind the mess it leaves for the next buyer. Meanwhile my house was built in 1942 and so far nothing can kill it. It's not the prettiest/most modern house in the city but it's got good bones.
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Mar 22, 2018 14:50:07 GMT -5
Exactly!
We are in the process of buying a 25 year old home. Our main focus is on the layout and the structure. The windows are old. But they work and those we can replace relatively easily. But foundation issues or knocking down walls or mold problems...those are the things one needs to avoid. Because those are big hassles and they cost a pretty penny to fix.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Mar 22, 2018 14:56:27 GMT -5
One of the houses he toured wasn't level. He said it's not something you would spot unless you knew what you were looking for. Not level means the foundation wasn't poured right, which means settling which means $$$ for whoever is living there when it finally starts to move. Our windows are so old they have ropes and pulleys.
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swasat
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Joined: Apr 13, 2011 9:34:28 GMT -5
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Post by swasat on Mar 22, 2018 15:14:28 GMT -5
One of the houses he toured wasn't level. He said it's not something you would spot unless you knew what you were looking for. Not level means the foundation wasn't poured right, which means settling which means $$$ for whoever is living there when it finally starts to move. Our windows are so old they have ropes and pulleys.
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Cookies Galore
Senior Associate
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock
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Post by Cookies Galore on Mar 22, 2018 15:17:52 GMT -5
I will say that the age of the house does not determine the quality of the house.Β Many, many older homes are built with better materials, they are SOLID, much superior quality to the cheap materials being used these days in the newly sprouting neighborhoods.Β My BIL owns a home built in 1940s. Its been remodeled extensively over the years so still has the modern touch, but he has never had issues with the structure or the roof. And then there are new houses that some of our friends bought. You can't walk on the stairs without everything creaking. Or the plumbing pipes clanking. Or hearing the loud HVAC system. I am almost scared I'll punch a hole in their kitchen cabinets if I close them suddenly. Our house was built in 1911 and most of the houses in my area are from the early 20th century or earlier. Not to sound like an old person, but they sure don't make 'em like they used to! We have the original hardwood floors in our house. πππππ
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2018 15:39:49 GMT -5
I will say that the age of the house does not determine the quality of the house. Many, many older homes are built with better materials, they are SOLID, much superior quality to the cheap materials being used these days in the newly sprouting neighborhoods. My BIL owns a home built in 1940s. Its been remodeled extensively over the years so still has the modern touch, but he has never had issues with the structure or the roof. And then there are new houses that some of our friends bought. You can't walk on the stairs without everything creaking. Or the plumbing pipes clanking. Or hearing the loud HVAC system. I am almost scared I'll punch a hole in their kitchen cabinets if I close them suddenly. Our house was built in 1911 and most of the houses in my area are from the early 20th century or earlier. Not to sound like an old person, but they sure don't make 'em like they used to! We have the original hardwood floors in our house. πππππ We have original quarter-sawn oak floors in a 1959 house. The original owners raised two active children here and the floors have been refinished once. I pay extra to provide replacement cost insurance coverage for the floors because I adore them. And my roof decking is original too, 1 X 12 tongue-in-groove fir. That's why the roof doesn't budge during hurricane. The shingles may leave but the decking stays put.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Mar 22, 2018 16:31:04 GMT -5
Bobosensei, some house hunting suggestions. First, focus on things that canβt be, or are very difficult/ expensive to have changed. The location, the size and terrain of the yard, the number and size of rooms on the house, the garage, and the like. Then focus on mechanical systems, roof, etc. Look up some appliance life tables so you have a sense for how long things such as water heaters and furnaces generally last. If these items are close to the end of their expected life, that should be factored in when you negotiate the price. Finally, look at the more cosmetic things. Decorating, carpet, window treatments, etc. It costs money, sometimes quite a bit of money, but, in the big picture, these types of things are relatively easy to change. If you are considering a home more than about 20 years old, bear in mind that building materials change over time. Sometimes the materials generally available today wonβt fit to replace an old installation, donβt match, or are no longer available. My brother found this out when he needed to replace the shower faucet in his 45 year old house. Modern faucets would not fit as a direct replacement. Vintage faucets were not available. The only way to replace the faucet was to replumb the shower to take a modern faucet. That would require tearing out a good section of the shower tile. Which matched tile that ran throughout the rest of the bathroom. In that case, replacing the faucet would pretty much necessitate a complete bathroom remodel. Tskeeter,
You pointed out some really good tips which I agree with.
I've bolded the one bit I don't agree with. I've been in a similar situation. Many tiles are discontinued within a year or two but that doesn't mean you have to replace everything. I had a side sprayer pipe fail in the condo as well as the shower cartridge. I couldn't match the existing wall tile but I could match the shower floor tile. So I ran a stripe of the floor tile (penny round) up the one side. Everyone liked it as it still maintained the cool 60s vintage look.
Sometimes you just need to get a little creative...
Yep. We ran into this when m6 wheelchair wrecked the carpeting in the otherwise fully tiled bathroom (only the area in front of the sinks was carpeted). We were about 8 tiles short of being able to retile the carpet with the original tiles. I found a slightly different tile, and we just put in another, contrasting but matching area using a different border tile to delineate the area. Last summer, we replaced all the border tile (we should have done it at the time) and the bathroom was pulled out of the 1990s Southwestern style without having to retile the whole room. You just need to have a good eye for color.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Mar 22, 2018 16:31:29 GMT -5
Thanks for all the feedback y'all. I'll try to answer the big questions. I want to try to find a home in the next month, my lease is up at the end of May but I can go stay with my sister as long as I need if I am still looking. We get along well so this wouldn't be an issue. Before I met the realtor I looked at 3-4 open houses in new neighborhoods, but did not like houses so close together and knew I needed a yard for my dogs. With my realtor I've asked to see 20 homes so far, but typically a third to half of what I want to see is gone before I can get out to see it. So some of the ten or so homes I will have seen by the end of the day are not ones that I actually wanted to see but we went because we were in the area. I do want to own a home, but the timing wasn't right the last 10 years due to ex's army career and living overseas then our divorce. I'm ready to settle into a home. I like being at home (I'm an introvert), and I want to have a huge garden which I haven't been able to do while renting. And I love relaxing outside with my dogs. I also see a paid off home as an important part of retirement. As far as cosmetic stuff my only concern is for resale later on, and maybe I am thinking of it the wrong way as in if I pay x, y has to be replaced due to regular maintenance, and I have to put z into the house to make it sell later on am I better off with a different house? I guess part of that is a crap shoot though. There really isn't a way to know what I'll have to put into a house and what return I might get if I have to sell later. My biggest requirement is a big back yard preferably already fenced. Because of the yard I want I know I am looking at an older home. I want a gas stove, but have accepted I may need to take an electric and run a gas line later on. I have money for repairs saved up, and I'm looking into a first time homebuyer mortgage where I can put 3% down and the lender pays the PMI. The interest rate is about .5% higher, and it really sort of works out to be the same as if I paid PMI but I want to have all the extra money in my savings and investment accounts. Since I'm single again it makes me feel better to have this for emergencies. I am just worried I am going to continue to put off making a decision, and I only have one more vacation day I am willing to split up and use for house hunting during the week. So at some point I'll be back to only going out on weekends. I don't know why I thought the process of finding the house I want was going to be fun. The bolded text really stuck out to me. Where I live it's very common for the good properties (well priced properties in good locations) to go on the market on Friday and be under contract by Sunday afternoon. A property that looks nice and has had some updating? Gets multiple offers. Can you talk to your realtor to find out why you are missing out on even viewing the properties that you have identified? Is it your schedule? Is it hers? Is there a reason why you aren't getting to see these places before they go under contract?
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