Buying a home isn’t like buying anything else. It’s a complicated process with many moving parts, where you need to make sure you do everything right. Here are six things that lead home owners to regret their purchases when they skip them. Don’t get home buyer’s remorse by avoiding these simple checks.
- Property lines
Skipping the property line survey to save money might be attractive, but could cause you major headaches over time. Neighbors have found that their driveway goes onto a neighbor’s property, or that a fence doesn’t quite cover your whole yard. You can end up not being able to make improvements or repairs if the property line doesn’t fall your way.
- Prior claims history
If your home has had multiple insurance claims, it may be uninsurable. Don’t get stuck with a house that’s not secured against disaster because the previous owners called the insurance company for everything, or had bad luck.
- Pests
Skipping the pest inspection? Get used to roommates. Even without furniture, bedbugs can live for years in curtains and carpets. You can have termite damage and no idea about it.
- Flood zones
If you end up in a flood zone, you could spend thousands of dollars on flood insurance and STILL not be covered. If the house has a history of flooding, you may be out of luck in the case of a flood (or other disaster – tornadoes, hail, etc can all cause damage to your home and leave you out in the cold). Home buyer’s remores won’t fix your house.
- Square footage
Square footage is a big deal for your assessment. Do you want to pay for a 2,000 square foot home and get an 1,850 square foot home instead? Inaccurate measurements can seem harmless, but cost you big on resale value.
- Crime
Moving into a neighborhood with a high crime rate may save you on the purchase, but is killer for resale. A couple of fistfights don’t kill your value, but a string of robberies could really knock down your home’s value. Your home buyer’s remorse won’t make up that value.
If you’re ready to buy or sell your home, Rick & Tracy Ellis are ready to make your dream come true. Call us today at 636-299-3702, email us directly at tracy@tracyellis.com, and visit www.tracyellis.com for more information on buying and selling your home. You can also listen to the “The Rick and Tracy Ellis Show” every Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.
