Use Your Senses to Steer Clear of a Money Pit!
Some may remember the 80’s movie with Tom Hanks & Shelley Long called “Money Pit”. A young couple buys a mansion for dirt cheap. They are told it needs “some work” but love it and agree to take it on. Only they wind up way over their heads in renovations that nearly cost them their marriage. It’s a funny movie but unfortunately a classic tale. People buy money pits every day in all forms. They come in the shape of both new & old homes. They can also spend very little to quite a bit of money on these money pits without even realizing what they are buying. Couples, families & others walk through houses everyday with their agents & upon first glance everything looks wonderful. Agents, not experts on home inspections, think everything is in order as well, they make an offer & before they know it the property is theirs. I will be the first to admit you want a nice looking home but there are things you should really be looking into in addition to just curb appeal. You don't have to be a pro to use your senses can help you find some issues & possibly steer clear of the money pits.
The first thing is to look at the house, I mean really look at the house. Check the roof first. Is there anything missing, bowing, does it look new? There are various types of roofing for homes with various lifespans. Old or missing roofing material can cause leaks if not replaced & damage to the interior of your home. Replacing this can be expensive depending on the roof damage. Look missing siding on the exterior of the home as well. Look under cabinets for leaky pipes. Look at the flooring, ceilings, etc. for wet spots or strange stains that could also indicate water damage or even electrical damage. Look at the foundation are there large cracks in it? These may be an indication of settling either past or present & may also be a cause of water in the home. If the water is supplied by a well & the house has multiple ask why.
Use your sense of touch to turn things on. Make sure the lights work, flush the toilets, turn on the faucets. Yes, provided the house isn't winterized you can do this and I strongly encourage it. If something doesn’t work then you should ask about it. If after running the water in the sink you see water under the sink that’s something that will need checked. If it’s summer is the air working? If it’s winter is the heat working? These systems can be expensive to replace. Do you feel cool or warm drafts by the windows or doors? This could be anything from poor insulation to improper installation to just old doors. All added expenses to you.
Smell it out. When you flushed the toilet did you smell sewage? If so then there may be an underlying septic issue. Are there any other strange smells? When you walked in did you smell eggs? If natural gas is available to the home this could be a sign of a leak (or someone cooked eggs before your showing). When in doubt be sure to ask! When in the upstairs bedroom does it smell wet or damp? This could be a sign of a leak or worse something growing in the carpet.
Open your ears to the sounds of the house. Yes, sounds very new age but listen when you flicked the lights did it crinkle? This maybe an indication of improper electric repair or wiring. Did the pipes bang when you ran the kitchen sink? Maybe just old pipes but still something to check out. Do you hear water running with no faucets running? This could be a sign of a leak somewhere in the house. Was the house creaking as you walked around? Could be loose flooring, settling of the house or something more serious.
As you can see your senses can help when looking at homes to help point out issues beyond the beautiful paint & new counters you are seeing. They can be your first indication of something wrong. A home inspection is always recommended as well as checking the sellers disclosures (if available) to see any issues you may miss or the severity of the issues that are present. Using your senses though you can tell the home inspector of things that you were concerned over & they can use their expertise to check them out thoroughly. Saving you time & money later as well as potentionally avoiding your own money pit.
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