7 Flaws To Consider Overlooking When Buying

It’s almost impossible to find that “perfect” home. No matter how hard you look or how many homes your agent shows you, getting everything you want in one home sometimes just isn’t a reality. It seems as though kitchen cabinets are always outdated, pink walls to be repainted or bathroom wallpaper that looks like it is 100 years old. The price of repairs should be factored into what you are paying for the home. For example, Sellers may contribute to repair bills, and some mortgages, like an FHA 203(k) loan, factor repair costs into the overall loan amount. So before you decide to cross a house off your list make sure the kitchen remodelpossible repairs are minor, or major, you could end up with the perfect home with just a few minor tweaks.

Unappealing Paint

This is one of the easiest and cheapest fixes, especially if you do it yourself. Don’t let someone’s poor taste in paint colors keep you from buying.

Outdated Wallpaper

Grandma may have liked the red velvet wallpaper, but maybe you don’t. True, it will take work to remove old wallpaper, but it could save you a lot of money!

Tired Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet refacing can be done inexpensively and can make your old cabinets and drawers look new.

Unfashionable Wall-to-Wall Mirrors

They might have been hip in the 1970’s or ’80s, but now those expensive mirrors are just eyesores that can be easily removed and replaced with a fresh paint job.

Drab Window Treatments

They may be one of the first things you notice when you walk into a house. You can either offer them to sellers, or throw them out and replace them with window treatments you like.

Broken Heating or Cooling System 

While buying a new furnace or air-conditioning system is expensive, some fixes are not so . A pump for a broiler, for example, may only cost a mere $250, so having to fix one shouldn’t necessarily stop you from buying an otherwise good home.

Discolored Bathroom Grout

Buyers who see this may mistake it as a sign of a moldy house. While mildew can lead to problems, ask a home inspector if it’s something that can be fixed with a little scrubbing. It’s a buyer’s market out there, but homebuyers are still more cautious than they were before the recession. That said, you shouldn’t be so tentative that you let a few minor repairs prevent you from buying the house you want. Negotiating the fixes into the price of the home will make the repairs easier to swallow, although today’s low home prices and rock-bottom mortgage rates should be enough incentive.

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