An old house may come with work — but it can also be a good investment. With new-construction homes are flooding the market, it often seems like purchasers are preferring newly constructed houses over old houses. If I look at the facts, it is worth considering an older house as I go deep in the search. Here are some of the potential and specific buying issues of an older house.
BUYING ISSUES OF OLDER HOUSES
Though some renovations are lined up when I purchase an older house. What I don’t want is to end up with a money pit on my hands. As such, before purchasing an older house, make sure it goes through a home inspection that I attend so I can get a sense of what I’m signing up for. Here are a few specific red flags to look out for.
AN OLD ELECTRICAL SETUP
Knob-and-tube wiring is the standard back in the day. Unfortunately, it’s not really geared for houses with the many electrical appliances I’ll find in modern properties. As such, a knob-and-tube system becomes overheated and over-engaged, resulting in a bad performance, or even worse yet, a fire hazard. Similarly, look out for ungrounded outlets, which surely have a tendency to spark and pose the risk of electrical shock.
WATER DAMAGES
Older pipes are more likely to rust or burst than updated pipes. Check for signs of water damages (like stained ceilings) before purchasing an older home, since it can be complicated and expensive to fix.
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POOR WATER PRESSURE
Imagine cursing my way through my morning shower each day because my home’s plumbing just isn’t up to par. Make sure I’m not dealing with a dated setup that results in that sort of unpleasantness.
ASBESTOS
Asbestos is linked to dangerous health issues, so make sure it’s not lurking in my home’s basement or anywhere else. Mitigation can be extremely expensive.
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IS BUYING AN OLD HOUSE THE RIGHT MOVE FOR ME?
Buying an old house offers an opportunity to score a more unique home that suits my lifestyle and budget. I’ll just make sure what exactly I’m signing up for before going through with that purchase. That indicates paying attention to the issues my home inspector identifies and understanding the costs involved in tackling them.
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