Buying an older home can be cheaper than buying a new one in terms of the purchase price, but it can also involve some fairly substantial hidden maintenance fees. If you’re going to purchase an older house, it’s important to have it thoroughly inspected beforehand to make sure you’re not going to spend too much on repairs. Here are four areas you need to have checked by a professional before buying an older home.
Electrical Wiring
Some older houses have outdated wiring that isn’t sufficient to support modern appliances. Older wiring can also be more prone to overloading and other types of failure. If the home you’re looking at buying is 50 years old or more, it’s a good idea to have it thoroughly inspected by a professional electrician before you decide to buy.
Plumbing and Sewer
Like wiring, older plumbing can be prone to failure. In the case of plumbing failures, the potential for huge amounts of water damage exists, which is why you need to have the house’s pipes thoroughly inspected. In addition to the internal pipes, it’s also important to have the sewage system checked out. A damaged sewage system can cause foul odors and even sewage backup. If your plumber does find damage to the sewer, modern methods of trenchless sewer repair can be used to repair the damage without the need to dig up the entire sewer line.
Foundation and Basement
Over time, the weight of a house, coupled with erosion or tree roots pressing in against the blocks, can start to compromise the integrity of a house’s foundation. Foundation repair can be expensive, but it is often necessary to prevent catastrophic damage. Be sure to have the house’s foundation and its basement inspected for large cracks that you may have to have repaired.
Roof Shingles
Though most houses that are any more than 25 years old will have had their roofs replaced at least once, some old houses may have roofs that are nearing the end of their lives. Having a roofer inspect the state of the roof can give you a good indication of how soon it will need replaced. Do note, though, that you can skip this step if the seller can verify that the existing roof was put on within the last 10 years or so.
By checking into each of these areas of the house you’re thinking about buying, you can ensure that you won’t get burned by unexpected maintenance costs shortly after making the purchase. Once you get these inspections done, you can make your purchasing decision with the proper knowledge of the actual condition of the home.
