House update: The inspection went pretty well. There are some things the seller will need to fix, but there aren't any major problems. They mostly have to do with smoke detectors, a close-to-leaking pipe in the basement, an electrical issue in the panel (three wires going into a breaker, two outlets that need upgrading, a loose exterior railing, a bathroom vent that isn't working and an adjustment to the front storm door. The other issue is the roof, but I knew it was old going in, so that was no surprise. The inspector pretty much said I should start saving now, lol. We had a heck of rainstorm today, and we saw no water anywhere, so that was a good test. Pending the results of the radon test, all should be OK, if the seller agrees to all of the repairs. The electrical stuff and the smoke detectors have to be done regardless, and hopefully they will agree to the rest. All in all the inspector said that I was getting a solid house that's easy to maintain and that the list of issues was pretty short. I should know in a day or two if the sellers agree to everything. Fingers crossed!
Buying a House
- Thread starter AeryFairy
- Start date
What is a storm door ? The reparations required don't seem to be costly. It is strange that sellers don't think of doing these things before putting up their property onto the market. How much would a roof cost and what is the time frame before you need to have a new one put up ?
Things seem to be looking good. It's a nice feeling that you'll be able to have a low maintenance house. I'm sure that it will cost less than having a flat because you're the one deciding on upgrades and future work.
Thank you for keeping us updated.
MadamSarcastra
MadamSarcastra, over & out.
It's an additional door (outside) to sort of be a shield for the "official" inside door. Many can have screens with adjustable, sliding windows (ours do), so in nicer weather you can open the main doors and get a nice breeze or a lot more natural light but still be protected from the elements.
My agent says it's amazing the range of conditions of houses for sale. Some people are really thorough, like my parents, who fixed cracks in their basement floor and painted it. They also painted the walls and redid the floors in one of the bedrooms, all in preparation for sale. Others hardly do anything, not even rudimentary cleaning. My mom is keeping her house extra clean for when it goes on the market.
The inspector thinks the roof might have a year or two left, which I sort of expected, as it's 18 years old and it's a second layer, which doesn't last as long as the original layer. I was hoping it might last three or four years, and you never know, it still could. My state allows only two layers, so it will require having the layers removed so that I can put on the new one. Cost is variable. It really depends on the materials you choose and just how people charge. I've heard estimates from as low as $5,000 to as high as $40,000. I am hoping mine will be in the lower range, haha. Maybe no more than $10,000. It's a very straightforward roof. No dormers or any odd lines, just that little section in the front that's lower. I feel like I got a decent deal on the house, so I won't mind having to do the roof. After closing, I will still have a good chunk of savings, so that can be the basis for my long-term replacement fund. The heating system and hot water tank are pretty new, so I shouldn't have to worry about those for several years. In fact, he said the furnace was a really good brand that typically has a 30-year life span, so that was encouraging as it's only 8 years old. The windows also are new, and they are the kind that pop open for cleaning.
The repairs are minor in the scheme of things. I think I will hire someone to paint the living room and dining room, though, and I will paint the bedrooms myself, as they are smaller and much more manageable.
Another update: The sellers have agreed to all the repairs (wahoooooooooooo!), and my mortgage is almost complete; the loan officer is just waiting for my employment verification to come through. It's looking like we will close on April 27. This is wicked exciting!!!
Thanks, KLS! I can't believe it's really happening. I gave notice to the apartment folks as well. They wouldn't cut me any slack on the final nine days of my lease, so I have to pay part of the rent for June. They were not cooperative at all. But it's all good. Just gives me more time to get everything done. 
I'm moving a lot of my stuff myself, but I'm hiring movers for the furniture and books and all.
I'm moving a lot of my stuff myself, but I'm hiring movers for the furniture and books and all.
Thanks, KLS! I can't believe it's really happening. I gave notice to the apartment folks as well. They wouldn't cut me any slack on the final nine days of my lease, so I have to pay part of the rent for June. They were not cooperative at all. But it's all good. Just gives me more time to get everything done.
It looks like you are on the tops of things and have the right attitude.
This reminds me when I bought my flat ( new build) and the constructor was 18 months overdue on the initial date. I explained the situation (they couldn't give an exact date) to the rental agency and they were not agreable. They said that I had to give them a definite date to move out despite the fact that I had rented it for 18 years, always payed my rent on time and had even redecorated it. I ended up paying part of my mortgage and full rent for a whole year.
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Wow that is awful, shyvas! These companies are relentless with their contracts. All the woman kept saying was, it's in your contract. I was like, yes, I am well aware of what is in the contract; and I was hoping that after 6 years of being a great tenant that you could let me slide on 9 days of rent. There was no wiggle room. Seriously, who actually can time a move to the exact day a lease expires? Grrr.
I was lucky when I sold my old house...a family member bought it so I was able to stay there for two weeks until I closed on this house I'm living in now. It's so nerve wracking. I wish my daughter could find a house. She's intent on staying in the town she's in now, so it's been hard. She's been renting for almost two years now and finally coming to the conclusion that maybe she should buy a parcel of land and just build a new house since she can't find anything out there that will work for them. The thought of that, though, is torture, to me. I don't think I could do it. It will take forever and problems always come up and you end up spending way more than anticipated. I'm getting anxious just thinking about it! I'd rather buy a cheaper house and do renovations, like on Property Brothers, lol. I tried talking her into that a few times but she won't go for it.
I, too, would have loved to stay in my town, but I just couldn't afford it. I mean, technically I could, but I would be too stressed out with such a high mortgage. I definitely don't want to be house-poor, so I picked a town with more affordable prices that was still close enough to Rhode Island so that I can get home in under two hours.
I found the perfect house! In England!
England’s Smallest Castle Is For Sale And It Costs No More Than A Mid-Sized Flat In London
England’s Smallest Castle Is For Sale And It Costs No More Than A Mid-Sized Flat In London
I'm going to have to move in now too, Molly's Lodge and Molly's Mews. Sounds perfect.
Oh, I hadn't noticed that. So, it looks like we'll be four.
Mini-update: Loan is official!! Now the lawyers have to actually schedule the closing. We are still on track for April 27. Packing is going well. Tonight I will go through all the electronics in preparation for a recycling day that work is having. I'm going to take all the hard drives out of my laptops and bring the laptops, wires, and whatever else to the recycling day. I have old phones, too, to get rid of. This will be a big chore, but it will be great to be rid of this stuff. I can't believe I still have laptops from 15 years ago, lol.
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Thank you, KLS! I've been looking at different paint colors that I'm considering for the living room and dining room. They connect, so I think I will paint them the same color. I'm looking at a very light grayish green that might be pretty. I'm hoping it will go nicely with the stained trim. It will be great not to have to paint the trim.
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The one I really like is by Benjamin Moore and it's called Dew Drop, I believe. It's just a hint of green, but I think it's quite lovely.
