Homeowners: can I pick your brain?

Swazzle

We had our inspection yesterday and got the report late last night which I browsed through today. Our attorney asked that we sit down and flag/make a list of items that we're concerned about. We'll go over our list with him on Tuesday. 

For those of you that own your own home, what sort of things would be concerning to you? We're obviously not going to flag "replace doorknob" and minor things like that but then there's the fact that roof is at the end of its life and is in poor condition (we will definitely be flagging this). That was really the only major thing on the list, IMO.

So, I guess I'm just trying to get a little advice as to what sorts of things we should flag as potential first-time-home-buyers. TIA! 

Dignity100

I bought a 'refurb' house, it was refurbished by the city and brought up to code.  So the only think I remember them finding was that there were some grounding issues in a couple of the outlets which they fixed.

If the roof is an issue, you can always ask to get a couple appraisers out to see how much it would be to fix.

I guess it really depends on how bad stuff is and what the life expectancy is for it.  For example if it's just 'the roof will need replaced in 2-3 years'; I'd want to know if that meant 'complete tear down' or just add another layer of shingles and you're good to go.  Wiring to me was a big concern because it could cause a fire.  Mold I'd want dealt with before moving in.  Things I'd let slide are things like the doorknob you already mentioned or like if a bedroom door didn't shut correctly.

Swazzle

@Dignity100 - The roof is listed as being in poor condition. It's missing shingles and a lot of the ones that are there are curling and breaking. There's also a pipe (something to do with the plumbing, I think?) and it was installed incorrectly and can cause water damage. 

So from what I understand, the roof needs to be replaced much sooner than later. 

cu97tiger

I would flag things that you wouldn't feel comfortable living in the home until they are fixed -OR- that you won't have the cash to pay for yourself. For example, yes, you could maybe get the purchase price adjusted, but would you then have the cash on hand to fix it yourself?

I'd pay special attention to things that are dangerous, like electrical and plumbing.

[Deleted User]

We just bought a home that had been foreclosed on... That makes it a bit more tricky. They are usually as is. There was some water damage in the basement we could tell the carpet had stains, and the patio off the back had suck a good 2 inches. Issues we knew but still went ahead our problem came with the appraiser that has to be sent out after the loan has been sent to the bank. He told us to close we had to get the outside steps fixed then he'd have to re appraise it and yes we had to pay for it both times... They weren't up to code. We were told if we fixed them the bank would cut us a check since it was a safety hazard.. still waiting on that check. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I've heard of the appraiser coming back saying the roof would need to be replaced before the person could buy the home. I know of some people who did that is so crazy though.. I know I struggled with not wanting to fix something we didn't own yet and that was a few hundred bucks... to think a couple thousand is a big gamble.

Becareful when you get into red flagging things… yes things need to be addressed but if you’ve come to an agreement price on a home the sellers may not be willing to negotiate fixing anything.  Take into account the purchase price, and comps in the area. If it’s something you do not want to mess with then be ready to walk away if need be.

 

Our issue with the water was an easy fix we had to mudjack the patio that was up against the house. It had settled enough to allow water between it and the foundation causing water to not drain away from the house properly. Also be sure to have estimates on things so you can present them. Not sure well the roof needs to be replaced, get costs, and how long it’d take to get the work done.

Red flags to me: A bowed wall, termites, drainage, wiring, roof, all the really spendy stuff. Foundation is big!

speakeasy14

Unfortunately with old homes a lot of the big issues go unnoticed until repair work starts.  But here are things you should keep an eye out for and flag. 

Bowed wall, Bad electric (either not set up correctly or knob & tube), Termites, Piping problems, bad roof, foundation settling, asbestos, boarded windows or entryways

Here are some things that the bank flagged on our house and would not approve a mortgage until they were repaired: broken windows, cracked or broken door frames, and termites.  We also had a gas leak that needed to be repaired before we were even able to have an inspection.  And when the contractors went to replace the windows they discovered the copper piping had been stolen and had to replace all of the pipes in the basement. We had Fannie Mae pay for and repair all of these issues. 

Peaseblossom55

When we purchased our home last year we flagged anything that would be expensive or complicated to fix on our own and bigger things that would affect our safety, such as plumbing, electric, foundation issues.

KeptInStitches

If you suspect asbestos anywhere (brightly colored floor tiles, etc.), flag that for testing. Depends on when it was built, really - anything in the '80s and newer is fine.

[Deleted User]

I got really lucky when I bought my house--it's 70 years old, but has been kept up really well.  The only things I had to flag on my inspection were a broken garbage disposal, an outlet that's upside down, and broken back steps.  They fixed the back steps and the garbage disposal, but not the outlet.

I'd flag anything potentially dangerous (electrical is the big one that comes to mind, and I agree with @KeptInStitches about the asbestos, and lead paint, if the house is really old), as well as anything that you think would be a major hindrance to you purchasing the house.  Think about insurance issues--I know my insurance company would probably have made me replace a roof in really poor repair before they would insure the house, and I had to have the insurance lined up to get the mortgage, so.  It might be helpful to call an insurance agent just to get an idea of things that might cause a problem.

Swazzle

Thank you so much for all of the insight and advice! H and I are going over the inspection list together tonight and then tomorrow, we discuss it all with our attorney. 

We decided not to bother doing a lead paint test mainly because we didn't want to pay $300 to be told something we already know. 

As far as asbestos, our inspector said he only thinks there could be any in the popcorn ceilings in the living room, dining room, and 1 bedroom and so when we decide to redo them, we'll use caution. 

Pretty much all of the house has been renovated by the current or previous owners. The living room and dining room being the exceptions. 

Dignity100

Swazzle said:

Thank you so much for all of the insight and advice! H and I are going over the inspection list together tonight and then tomorrow, we discuss it all with our attorney. 

We decided not to bother doing a lead paint test mainly because we didn't want to pay $300 to be told something we already know. 

As far as asbestos, our inspector said he only thinks there could be any in the popcorn ceilings in the living room, dining room, and 1 bedroom and so when we decide to redo them, we'll use caution. 

Pretty much all of the house has been renovated by the current or previous owners. The living room and dining room being the exceptions. 

Look at you sounding all adult like and grown up )

Swazzle

@Dignity100 - Hahahaha I don't really feel adult-like and grown up. I feel really intimidated by the whole process right now, actually. I wish H could be the point person on all of this but since I have the desk job and he works in a factory-type place, it's just not really feasible. 

I have the attorney emailing me now telling me to have our realtor find the permits for the work that's been done on the house but we're 99% sure the seller did not obtain any permits. We're pretty much ok with that as long as the town says it's ok (we're waiting to get hear back about that). When I told the realtor what the attorney said, her response was that she and the attorney can't make the decision for us to buy or not buy the house. Which I don't even get that response. It's all just really frustrating right now

Dignity100

@Swazzle - Without hearing your agents tone and seeing facial expression - in writing it sounds like she's worried you're going to back out and she's not going to get her commission.  You're trying to CYA and she really doesn't have that type of emotion vested in it to be blunt/honest.  Sure she wants you to be happy with your experience so you'll refer others to her, but bottom line is she's more worried about her pocketbook than yours.

Dignity100

Oh --- and I don't know when you feel like an adult.  I'm 35 and still don't feel like one; but then again on most days you'll find me in jeans/novelty tshirt/athletic shoes - so I'm sure that doesn't help.

Swazzle

She texted me and also mentioned the certificate of occupancy and said that the seller has to show the home is legal to live in in order to obtain that from the town so I guess she doesn't think we need proof that the seller had permits to do the renovations. I'd honestly be surprised if he obtained permits to renovate anything in the house. Do you really need to get a permit to re-tile your kitchen floor for example?

KeptInStitches

@swazzle, I don't know about where you live, but where I live you technically need to get permits to pound a nail. Seriously. That's what our city website says.

futuremrsr2015

Dignity100 said:

I bought a 'refurb' house, it was refurbished by the city and brought up to code.  So the only think I remember them finding was that there were some grounding issues in a couple of the outlets which they fixed.

If the roof is an issue, you can always ask to get a couple appraisers out to see how much it would be to fix.

I guess it really depends on how bad stuff is and what the life expectancy is for it.  For example if it's just 'the roof will need replaced in 2-3 years'; I'd want to know if that meant 'complete tear down' or just add another layer of shingles and you're good to go.  Wiring to me was a big concern because it could cause a fire.  Mold I'd want dealt with before moving in.  Things I'd let slide are things like the doorknob you already mentioned or like if a bedroom door didn't shut correctly.

To the bolded do not just put a new layer of shingles over old broken ones you will not be fixing the problem just making it worse in the end.  I'm not sure how handy you guys are but we were able to redo our roof ourselves (we had help from people who had done it before and my dad is a contractor so that helped but in all honesty it's really not hard)  

The main things to look for roof condition, mold, bowed walls,  electrical, plumbing and anything really sketchy looking.  Unfortunatly alot of times when someone avoids getting permits to do their renos they are mickey mousing a lot of things and it can lead to bigger problems later or you having to completely redo it to bring it up to code.

Swazzle

@futuremrsr2015 - H is pretty handy but luckily his good friend owns a roofing company so if we end up moving forward and coming to a compromise we'll definitely trust him to do the job. I pulled up the seller's disclosure in which he stated the roof is 13 years old. That doesn't seem right. 

There is a whole section in our contract that says "Seller shall apply for and pay for any permits that must be obtained for any repairs or those in order to resolve any installations on the property that were done without a permit." 

So doesn't that mean that any work he did on the house, he'll now have to get checked out as per our contract if he didn't already obtain a permit?

Dignity100

@futuremrs2015 - If the roof is flat (no missing/broken shingles) in my area we are allowed to have up to 2 layers of shingles; but if the roof is not flat, you should do a complete tear down. As far as 'it's easy to do yourself' - many homes in my area are 2-3 stories with a 9:12 - 12:12 grade pitch, so that is not really an easy job. My dad is also a contractor and I can tell you he wouldn't touch the house I wanted that happened to be a 3-story 11:12 grade pitch and needed a complete tear down - in fact my quote from 3 area contractors were all around $11,000 (they had to go down to the studs because there was a lot of damage to the plywood layer plus the pitch of the room did not help). Just thought I'd mention; it's not always an easy job and though it might not be recommended (I agree a tear down is better because you can check the wood underneath and see if there's damage and also the life of a 2nd layer will probably not be as long as a single layer), but in many areas a 2nd layer is allowed by code. @Swazzle - I would imagine the seller would be responsible for any fines associated to not having proper permits and also have to pay for any of the damages due to not having proper permits. I'd probably talk to the attorney about that one. Darn TK and paragraphs!!

Swazzle

We went over everything last night and made a list of our concerns which I'll go over with our attorney some time today. If the seller isn't willing to address them then we're prepared to walk away which makes me really sad and frustrated (we'll also lose at least $1300 which blows). 

futuremrsr2015

Dignity100 in my area you cannot do that and your insurance will actually deny any claim made for damages if you did, and it really is just a band-aid solution.  If you do it right it can last 20-30 years so why not just do it right the first time it will save you in the long run.

Dignity100

@Swazzle - good luck!!  Most of the times sellers are willing to work with you, especially if it's not a HUGE cost to them.  They don't want to have to go through getting the house listed back as 'active', it's an expense to them as well because the time you're working with them trying to make sure the house is worth the agreed upon price, they're still paying utilities, mortgages and all other expenses associated with the house. 

The house I talked about with the bad roof - I offered full asking if the owner would fix it (in my area a normal offer is 10-14% less listed), owner said no - I said full price and owner goes half-sies with me; owner said 'no'.  Owner ended up keeping the house an additional 3 months and selling it for $13,000 less than asking.  Most home owners don't want to deal with that.

speakeasy14

@swazzle fingers crossed!

jenna8984

Make sure you know exactly how much anything will cost. I was young and naive when I bought my house so the inspector told me things like needs new roof, needs new furnace and I was just like "ok cool, I'll replace them in a few years no biggie". Well they needed to be my very first winter in the house and I didn't know that a roof was $5,000 and a furnace was $5,000. I knew they needed to be done but didn't think they were that much (stupid me). So since I had just spent my life savings on the down payment, I had to get a loan. Luckily in MA, the state realizes that you can't live without heat and they give out interest free loans for a furnace! But 4 years later I'm still paying on it

Good luck!! Do you have a proposed closing date?

Swazzle

@jenna8984 - Thank you for the advice! Our closing date is actually 1 month from today (hopefully)!