7 Weird Things To Consider When Buying A House

1. Are Blinds And Baseboards Clean, And Do They Work?

Take a look at the blinds and baseboards. Do they look like they’ve been cleaned since the house was built? Seriously! If the basics of blinds and baseboards aren’t clean, what other routine maintenance has been overlooked?

Try every window covering to ensure they work. I’m not suggesting you skip a house because the blinds are busted, but keep a mental note of what does and doesn’t work.

We were assured the motorized shades in our new home were all in working order. Lo and behold, those shades can’t do their job when the sun shines in because the motor needs to be replaced. It isn’t a quick or cheap fix.

2. Are The Sellers DIY Fanatics?

The Do It Yourselfer must know their limitations! I’m all for doing what you can yourself to learn a new skill and save money, no doubt. However, if it looks as though a homeowner has DIY’ed beyond their skill level, you may be in for trouble.

A honeycomb, motorized shade hung crooked, and upon further inspection, we discovered someone had tried to re-string it themselves. It’s DIY gone awry.

3. Do You See Shortcuts?

It may be all the rage to paint gold light fixtures bronze to save money, but it isn’t a good long-term solution. Try cleaning those babies, and you will find it quite disgusting.

If a homeowner is willing to paint an inexpensive light fixture and re-install it instead of purchasing a new one, what else could they have taken a shortcut? Wiring? Plumbing? How much could those shortcuts cost you?

4. Is The Temperature Steady?

Do the upstairs and downstairs hold an even temperature? The comfort of your home depends on it!

When our air conditioning worked (the first three days after moving in), the upstairs was comfortable, but the downstairs was like a freezer. Way too cold. Ideally, you will have temperature controls at each level.

5. Is The Yard Overgrown?

Not only will you spend hours trimming and removing overgrown trees and bushes, but you may find fencing that needs to be replaced behind the overgrowth.

6. Is The Seller Willing To Negotiate?

An easy deal, an easy deal. Those are the words we kept hearing from realtors. The seller wants an easy sale. We tried to make it as easy as possible and are now paying the price for granting his wish.

Our seller didn’t negotiate on asking, barely budged on inspections, and sneered at the appraisal when it didn’t meet his satisfaction.

Come to find out, he held a job as a negotiator for a large company, flying all over the country and negotiating deals.

If you come away with a bad taste, walk away! You will likely never love your house if you feel bamboozled.

7. How Does The Seller Word Things On Legal Documentation?

A master negotiator will know how to word things to save his butt.

When you ask the seller to repair the garage door to working order, and his rebuttal is to replace the belt, don’t, I repeat, don’t sign off on it like we did. You may end up with a garage door that is persnickety and not fully functional.