Watch Out for THESE Issues When Buying a Dutchess County Home
Buying a Dutchess County home is hard enough without having to deal with sneaky sellers trying to hide the deferred maintenance of their homes. And if they are hiding small issues, what are the bigger problems that you are not aware of?
If you’re a Dutchess County buyer, remain on alert as you take a critical look at the potential of your new home. By being aware of and attuned to the following red flags, you can hopefully avoid buying a home that’s going to put you in the red as soon as you close.
Be On Alert
When buying a Dutchess County home, tap into all five senses to get a good grasp at the condition of the house. Take a look at the walls and see if you notice anything unusual. Cracks can be an indication of a shifting foundation. Peeling ceilings can be a sign of water damage and can indicate the need for roof repairs. New paint on a single wall could be hiding mildew, mold or water damage.
How does the basement smell? Can you sniff out some mustiness? This could be a sign of mold or mildew.
Also look around and check out does the masonry have visible cracks or crumbles? How do the outlets and vents look? Are all of the fixtures maintained? Do the doors and windows all work properly?
Bring in the Pros
No matter the Dutchess County house you are purchasing, you’ll want to get a home inspection. Home inspectors can really get down to business and help uncover hidden issues. They will check the Dutchess County house from top to bottom and they can give advice on the repairs that would be needed.
Foundation problems, issues with HVAC can all be found during an inspection. They will be able to catch the problems that an untrained eye could miss.
Home inspectors can also provide you leverage when buying a Dutchess County home. Buyers can point out the defects described in an inspection report to either get the repairs done or to get a better price for the sellers.
Research the Area
The neighborhood could also have red flags, too. Abandoned and boarded-up buildings or excessive amounts of garbage and graffiti are obviously not good signs.
As you perform your due diligence on the Dutchess County home, check to see that there are businesses or industry in the area. Are the other homes well taken care of? Are there signs of community growth? All is important to consider before you buy.
Address the Issues
Just because you see a few red flags, it does not necessarily mean that you should walk away from the deal altogether. Address all of the issues head on to see if there are some worthwhile resolutions that can be made.
For example, bigger issues like structural problems or electrical could get fixed by the seller. The chances are if you found the problem other buyers will, too. This means that the seller could be open to such arrangements.
If everything else about the deal seems right, try to push to get the issues fixed. Once all of the problems are resolved you’ll still be left with your dream house.