I'm Buying A House!
 

Y'all like a second family, so I feel the need to share most major things in my life. The current big news is I have decided to take the plunge and buy a house.

Nothing big, nothing fancy, just four walls and hopefully a decent/new roof. :D

I will post updates here as I go along the process, but yeah...totally feel sick to my stomach and excited AF. All at the same time.

Also, ANY and ALL advice welcome.

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

Oh wow.

General advice will kind of depend on what you're going for. I hope/imagine it's just meant to be affordable, safe, solid, nothing fancy?

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

Great news! Huge to buy a house. Lots of worry & anticipation. GOOD LUCK!

Can’t give you any advice. I married into a Victorian house.

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

I wanna see a white picket fence and a dog:p Very cool! hope you have a happy home owning:)

The fence before his dream roof? :D

He has a dream roof? I must have missed that post🙂 Copper I assume? Maybe tile?

Congrats! My advice is to get regular pest control service from a highly-rated exterminator because of all the home services, it's the one I've found the old saying "you get what you pay for" applies the most.

Also, don't bother with buying a home warranty. They're a waste of money. You'll likely get a lot of mail when you move in convincing you to buy one. They can go straight into the shredder.

He said he wants a “decent/new roof” so maybe he’s dreaming a little bit? :p

This. Something in a far out location (more land the better) from the city. Metal roof would be ideal, which is not hard to find when you leave the city. Ideally a portion of yard already fenced in but not a big deal if I have to build one. No carpet or as little carpet as possible is my biggest buying requirement.

But if I don’t mind an hour drive to work I can afford a 3 bedroom, 2 bath. So I have a lot of wiggle room in what I’m looking for. Just need some good bones.

Yeah, a good roof is ideal. Whatever I buy will be where I reside for the next 20-30 years, so I don’t want to have to deal with putting a new roof on it.

• Get an inspection. You'll have a foot that expense, but worth it to learn of any obvious issues before you sign the dotted line.
• It's a seller's market. Prices are high across the board now and may come down in a few years, so don't over reach else the property value may not be where you can afford to sell if that ever becomes a risk. I mean, five years from now your selling price may end up being lower than your mortgage. Sounds like you're buying for the long haul so that shouldn't be an issue. Just be aware, please.
• I don't know your market, but here and where mom was up in Lynchburg, houses haven't stayed on market for more than a few days.
• Don't get frustrated from homes selling before you can even schedule a viewing. It's going to happen and probably often with the market the way it is. BE CAREFUL not to buy something in frustration or desperation else you may regret it soon after the adrenalin eases.
• If possible, maybe get an idea what the utilities will be for you. Older houses may may have crap insulation. Gas heating or even electric can be nuts during the winter.
• Is the property prone to flooding or hurricanes or other common natural events. Tornados? That can have a major impact on your home insurance policy.
• Don't forget to estimate home insurance into your cost of living. If you extend your budget to buy a home, make sure you can still afford insurance.
• If there are trees close to the house, be mindful of roots. Those things spread wider than the tree branches and can ruin driveways, waterlines, foundations, and can get into the plumbing over time.
• Agrees with Torgo. Home warranties are mostly scams, IMO. Our experience they only make repairs/replacements if they attempt to service whatever three times. It also must be with a tech that is connected to their network. Even then, they may only go with the cheapest option. By the time you consider your monthly fees to maintain that account, you probably could have bought whatever new and saved some cash. Right now, we're still trying to get mom's company to stop auto-draft payments which should have stopped four months ago.
• Internet! If you're deep out, your options may be for crap. Same with mobile data.

Good luck in that. It's exciting and fun but can create a lot of pressure and anxiety. Just Spock your way through it and try to stay logical.

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

Congrats :up:

Here's hoping that no ghosts will haunt your house.

Have a medium immediately check for bad spirits.
Check the history of the house. Did the previous owner perish there? How and why?
Is there a insane amount of flies in one location?
Does it get cold in certain areas?
Do objects move on their own?
And finally, do the walls bleed? 🩸
These are questions one must answer before becoming a homeowner.

Oh, and seriously, good luck on the house hunting!

dude, no. I would love to find a haunted house, that **** would be worth my soul.

It would be worth anyone's since no such thing exists - so to find one you could provide substantial proof for being genuinely "haunted" would probably make you rich and famous!

"Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory."

to be real anal here, since we are helping our buddy John with houses...whoever owned the deed would get rich and famous!

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

ynwtf mentioned insurance, but many mortgages can be/are bundled with both taxes and insurance. I second the thorough home inspection idea. Find someone who's a stickler. Then use everything he finds to lower the asking price.

When we bought this house, since there were two of us, we each had a non-negotiable list. His included a garage. Mine included an actual dining room. What's on your list? Is it something you can do/change/fix yourself later? You mentioned no carpeting, but I know my daughters bought houses very cheap that had yucky carpeting. They ripped it out and sanded down the hardwood underneath, then stained it. You might not have to do that much, but certainly cosmetic things are easier to do than adding a garage or a dining room.

Also, thumbs-up to two bathrooms, or at least, 1.5 bathrooms. Hubby takes an hour or more to get ready for work every day, and it would be a hardship for this old bladder to not have a second bathroom. :)

Another good piece of advice is to try to look at houses in/just after a downpour of rain. If there are leaky basements, etc., you'll be able to see it.

As for big yards... we went from a tiny yard to a much, much larger one. And from no sidewalks to 200 feet of sidewalks and a huge driveway. In spring and autumn, I love them. In summer I hate mowing all that yard. In winter I hate shoveling/snowblowing all that concrete. So, be careful what you ask for. Or get a riding mower. :D

And congrats! I hated our previous house (ask Yoda!)... so I still think about getting the keys to this house and moving in... and I smile. We both got our wish list and love it.

Re: I'm Buying A House!
 

Twist: It's a dollhouse they mean. :D