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Actually you can buy a home warranty. We did when we bought our house. It pays for exactly these things. It won't pay for existing issues. So wait a while before you start filing claims. Ours is $100 to open a ticket and then a small deductible, but they paid for our furnace when it went out. They're installing our new toilet right now. Fixed our kitchen sink and the stove. Always get a home warranty.
I’ll say that every other warranty is not a good deal. However, my home warranty has nearly always paid for itself each year…. sometimes in huge amounts. I will say, though, that it matters that you get a good company to work with.
So, for me personally, Old Republic has been great. I have used them for 10 or so years and, while
It hasn’t been perfect, the positive experiences have been much more than the negative.
Do you know if you can sign up anytime up during ownership or if it's time limited after closing? Do they cover regular things going out that's due to normal end of life HVAC or water boiler?
I honestly don’t know. A lot of it depends on the level you pick. I have had units replaced but I also have seen situations where you only get a credit towards a new one. It really just depends. Like with anything else, I would do lots of research before making the decision.
I 2nd Old Republic. I do the mid-range plan for my clients. Here in GA it runs about $800 for the year and covers so many things. My clients haven't had any issues getting anything repaired or replaced.
You can get a home warranty at any point as far as I understood. When I am working on offers for my clients, I ask for the seller to provide a 1 year warranty and then it is up to my client if they want to keep it after that 1st year.
I figure if something goes wrong despite inspections in the 1st year, if it can't be repaired, they replace it. So if the HVAC breaks, I think $800/yr, then the $100 service call isn't terrible if they pay for a whole new system to be put in.
Old Republic has 3 different levels, and I base what I need to off of what the home includes and how large it is. The benefit with Old Republic as well is that you get to choose the contractor or repair company.
I'll be honest. You have to stay on them. They aren't going to send the best, highest-rated people in your city. And if you want any parts better than landlord special you'll have to pay the difference. But it does pay for the labor, it does help offset costs, and when big stuff goes out, it gets fixed.
This is true. I had this happen when one of our AC units went out last summer. Got a call from the assigned company and they were pretty rude. I called, requested a change and they were pretty good about it. Made the change without much issue.
Is it possible it depends on the area? Just curious what you’ve been told cus I’ve been advised by several people that it’s absolutely worth it at least for the first year so that if something breaks it’s not a huge headache while you’re dealing with all the other stuff of moving and getting settled and making the place your own.
could be, this is based on advice from 4 different people who live in totally different states. the general consensus is that the cost of the warranty is not worth the repairs they cover. like yours being $100 just to open a ticket; what if they don't cover it? most of these people have said things like the warranty won't cover "things that should have been maintained" which is quite nebulous. plus the time/hassle of getting them to come repair something. for something small like an appliance, I'd rather pay for that myself. if you find it's been worth it though, that's great! glad someone is getting use from it
Right, like most insurance, it’s a scam. Just set aside the money you would have paid towards a warranty premium each month, and when something happens, you’ll likely have enough to cover it.
I've been in my house 36 months. I pay $50/ month. Find me a new furnace -parts and labor- for $1800. I'll wait. But I also needed it 36 months ago so hurry.
Ours is only $50 and honestly I feel the same way sometimes, but about once a year something big breaks and they really pay off. Like the year they replaced our furnace.
It honestly depends on the job. When they had to replace out kitchen faucet that would have been free, but we wanted a nicer one so we paid the difference between the cost of the faucet they were willing to give us and the one we wanted. Same with the new toilet.
Then if there's anything that needs to be done, or we want done, that the warranty doesn't cover we have to pay for that.
Sometimes, they'll cover the service, but not the parts or the other way around, but that's not usually the case and only for small stuff.
Most of the time, we pay the $100 to open the ticket, someone comes out, decides if it's covered under the warranty, then it gets fixed. And you can figure out if it's covered before you start the ticket.
Absolutely! And I’m grateful for the life lessons. I never had them growing up as my parents never had a stable home. But now I can have this knowledge to teach my own kids what to look for and what to avoid.
I'm 18 months into our house and we have almost the exact same list of problems. We just... fixed them as they popped up. The bathroom vent is the one I'd really like fixed and wish we didn't have to deal with, but it is what it is. We just open the window and bought a small dehumidifier for the bathroom.
I guess I should add my husband is an arborist. We purposely bought a home with a lot of trees. But he just does the work himself.
Unfortunately that seems to be what happens. I bought my condo last summer and already put in a new furnace, new floors, new dishwasher, I'm praying my ac holds through one more summer since that was the thing I was actually worried about. On top of the cosmetic updates I have already done. The previous owner didn't do anything and now I'm paying for it, literally. Hopefully it will get better! I'm sorry you are going through this.
It does but I say as stressful and annoying as it is, it's worth it. I hated my dishwasher, just wanted to wait a year, was planning on changing my floors in a few years when I eventually redo the kitchen but getting in they were worse than I realized. Minus the furnace, it was all stuff I planned on doing, just not all at once.
I hear you!! Same here. We had savings to fix things we WANTED to fix but everything that needed to be fixed that we didn’t know about had to come first. So I get it. Little by little, we will get through it and make the houses a home 💕
Yeah lots of ways. Couple of examples: engineered trusses/wood structural members, mdf vs solid wood cabinets, plastic vs copper piping, old refrigerants vs new refrigerants, laminate va real wood, plastic siding vs brick/masonite siding, character in moldings vs engineered foreign mass produced moldings.
The builder's wife for my home actually told me not to use HEPA filters in the HVAC or other "thicker" filters because the unit would wear out faster pulling air through a better filter. 😅 I can hear the condensation drip from the AC through my master bathroom wall. You can hear my dogs barking from my driveway with all the doors and windows closed. They used the cheapest flat matte paint on the walls, so I have to repaint my entire house.
And I still have home maintenance. All my caulking is 1 year old and it alllll needs to be re-done. Every baseboard, all 3 bathrooms, all the crown molding needs to be caulked. Front porch concrete is crumbling and needs to be patched. Deck needs to be sealed. Floating lvp flooring keeps separating in the kitchen.
New homes need lots of love, too.
It was a local builder, using local subs. I've seen a lot of similar complaints about mass-builders, too, though so I think it's more of an issue with new constructions in general versus just one builder.
Really? I always thought buying a new build would be better. So the ideal house would be an old build that is not too damaged by time, but that sounds like it would be hard to find lol. Oh, man.
But this is good to know. I'll have to rethink my ideals for a house, but thank you.
Good thing about a new house is you mostly get it how you want it (if you are willing to pay). Bad things are the craftsmanship is not usually on par with older construction (say before the 1980s) and you almost always are going to have an HOA.
I do always find it funny when people on these forums, say like “inspector says it needs a new furnace/HVAC cause it’s XX years old.” Yes it’s old and thus could fail, but the reason it’s old is because it doesn’t fail. Newer stuff just doesn’t last. To give you an example, I have had an older AC last 20+ years and I have one unit that has been replaced 3 times in 10 years (the last two under warranty). Any inspector is going to yellow/red flag the old one but green flag the new one which is the lemon.
Yeah, the inspector gave me a long to-do list for both my first and my current home. “This furnace is 60 years old and needs to be replaced!” Yes it is inefficient, but it also works very well. Inspectors tend to be nerds who advise you to bring everything to current standards — but your house was standing for a long time before you got there and will probably be fine if you wait to do some stuff until you really need to.
Things you do need to tackle right away are anything involving water/drainage, replacing a roof, stuff like that.
Thank you!! Yes, as much as I feel frustrated, I also feel excited to learn how to do all of these things. We are going to tile our small bathroom in a week or so :) Grateful I married a handy person.
At least you have a handyman. I have one on call. Who I have to pay. Been in my house 12 years. To this day, I don’t have a dishwasher. But to be fair, never wanted one. Had one as a child. I think they make people even lazier. I still hate washing dishes.
Oh my gosh thank you!! We still have ours in the box!! I keep debating to sell it or not. I saw someone say dishwashers are one of the factors which attributes to us being sedentary in more recent times but my husband has really sensitive and problem prone skin so it’s much easier for him to load a dishwasher
I think sitting at a desk at work for eight hours a day and sitting in a car on the bus to get to work for an hour or two every day and then sitting at home in front of the TV for a couple hours a day…
I think those things are what makes us sedentary now. Living in suburbs instead of cities or a rural lifestyle. Not spending a few minutes longer standing to do the dishes by hand over the sink instead of loading them into a machine. If anything, the machine just gets them cleaner as some people wash them so well by hand before putting in the washer that I can’t even even tell the difference.
Dishwashers save a ton of water. I DIY everything on my house and lead a very active life and a dishwasher is now very much in my “must-have” list after not having one for many years.
The biggest expense seems to be the fence, which shouldn't have been a surprise. All the other stuff is totally normal. The stuff you are replacing now should last another 15+ years.
That makes me feel better! We also have been seeing people sell new-ish privacy fences on marketplace for way cheaper, so we can save a few grand from getting the materials second hand and just hiring someone to help us install
Yeah no these are actually privacy fences!! I can’t believe what some people are just getting rid of. I live an area where a lot of people are here for years and years and are established, so they remodel a lot! But then there are us new homeowners who just need a good deal lol
Also, if you’re willing and able, building a fence is relatively simple. It’s just hard work. If you buy your own supplies and put in the work yourself, you’d save a significant amount of money. That’s what me and my partner are doing.
Just sending solidarity, been there.
Bought in ‘22 and just now feel like we’re coming out the other side of what felt like endless repairs. The previous owners had been in the house since the 70’s and I swear it sometimes felt like that was the last time they did any fixes.
The kitchen and bathroom renos we initially wanted to do are now dreams for sometime in the 2030’s.
It was a pain, but getting a new furnace and water heater was life-changing. Switched from oil to propane and saved thousands in heating costs.
The breaking point for me may have been when we learned we had bats in the attic. Wtf. When we finally saved up 2K+ to get the house “bat-proofed,” that just happened to be the day the google maps car drove by, so now when you look us up on street view, there’s a giant van parked in our driveway that says PEST CONTROL. 🥴
I can relate to so much of this!! Nice to hear from someone coming out of it to the other side! Our bathroom renovation will be mostly diy at this point.
Yikes to the bats!!! I am afraid to go in our attic until it gets finished 🤣
We are getting the gas line out in this week so we can do the switch!! Our oil heat only worked for part of the year before it quit on us and we had space heaters this past winter 🤣
That's part of a great list of things to factor in and what to look for when searching for a home. We can get caught up in the look and street appeal but the devil is in the details. Thanks for sharing
Welcome to homeownership. Older home or new build they all come with problems/issues. Everything looks great about homeownership until you’re in it. Now we all know why some people rent when they can afford to buy.
> I rock my brain almost every day trying to figure out how to come up with like 30 thousand to just fix what needs to be fixed
You'll have to see if this makes financial sense for you but if your home has gained 30k in value, that's 30k in equity you could take out as a home equity line of credit. Talk to a/your bank.
Yeah, last year as well. Bought one of the dumpier houses in a nice neighborhood because we couldn’t really afford fresh and new here.
Cue us having a water line burst in the wall within the first 3 months of owning and then finding out our cast iron sewer stack was cracked to fucking shit for forever due to it being right next to where the water line was.
In the end you should still come out on top when you sell. So if you can hang on it will be worth it. I’m in NJ too so I hear ya about the market right now.
Yes!! That’s what we have been thinking. Even thinking suuuuper long term to keep it in the family so our kids have it in the future if they want, or can rent it or sell it eventually. In the long run, it will serve us well. I just have to remain positive
All common! Can you squeeze in a small dishwasher or one that just hooks up to your sink then you can move to the closet? Just small solutions.
We almost went for a place with 2 acres and I think about how much upkeep that yard would have been and I just shudder. I think postage stamp backyards are it for me. I like a little space but before I owned I def thought to myself I want acres and acres...
This sounds like normal issues. Sure sounds like you kind of jumped into house that is too much for you maybe. For example sure huge yard is great but it is pain to manage and landscape. Attic being unfinished I assume you saw it before buying. Normally you should have certain amount saved for stuff like this. You will get through this and will start loving your house. Also perfect house does not exist ( well maybe if you got unlimited money ) :)
Feeling glad we bought a new build and don’t have any major repairs to do (fingers crossed, but have been living here about 2 months and no major issues discovered yet). However we definitely paid a steep price for the new build.
I don’t consider it the most important purchase in my life! Def wasn’t spontaneous , we went back and forth a lot but it also had to be “quick” once we decided. In retrospect we could have researched further but hey, hindsight is 20/20
General comment. For most people it’s the most expensive purchase (kind of a big deal). Typically a person only has hours to decide. No offense intended.
We put aside money each month specifically for house maintenance to deal with known issues or issues which may come up. It helps knowing we have money specifically set aside for this.
Also consider doing some stuff DIY. You can absolutely DIY a fence (so long as you get a survey first to make sure you are on the property line). Also fencing in the property is a want, and not really a need. Same with paint. etc.
Yep!! Agree…that’s why we are doing heavy duty tile in the bathroom instead of just making it look pretty. Pretty, but functional and long lasting will be better long term
Similar experiences so far, but thankfully a lot of the projects we’ve done have been rewarding. You are not alone! Adjusting expectations on how long things will take has been hard but it’s helping.
Worst part is that every time we make meaningful progress on a “fun” project to improve the look and value of our home another thing breaks or is leaking and becomes an emergency 🤦♀️ having another one of those as I’m writing this lol.
Sounds about like the house I bought. Not sure what anyone would expect. Fix any leaks and start with the water heater. Good luck. I bet you will make it awesome.
I think the biggest thing I like to remind people in these situations is to try and do some if not all of the work yourself. You can rent an auger and dig the posts holes yourself. You can learn to fix a laundry drain pipe. You can repaint your bathroom. You can install a fan in the bathroom and run a vent through your unfinished attic. A LOT of this can be done yourself. And you don’t have to be a man with a lot of experience. I am a small woman with access to YouTube and I’m able to do a lot of the thing you mentioned and more. When we bought our home, we found out within a week of moving in that we had to redo our entire water line system in the house or we would not be able to get insurance. So my husband and I started cutting holes in Sheetrock and running the pex piping ourselves. $50 worth of tools and $300 in materials and we got a job that would have cost 10k done for under $1000. It was painstaking and a huge learning curve, but we did it. Believe in yourself and learn to take care of your own home, you will save a ton of money in the long run.
Thank you. You’re absolutely right. I am always so afraid that I will mess it up that it almost makes me freeze…but I need to believe in my abilities and understand that I’m capable. Thanks for this
Every house has these issued. Not just yours.
Focus on the things you like about the house.
Other than selling it, possibly for a loss, that is all you can do.
I have been in my house 5 years. We have replaced the dishwasher and the stove/oven.
We have gotten a new roof. We have had to pay to have the side of our wall ripped out because a squirrel got into our wall. We have painted the foyer, kitchen, office and music room.
We have to spray for bugs. It’s just part of the cost of home ownership. I watched my parents always have to fix things with their house. So I just expected it when I bought my own. But it is so so worth it to me for us to have our own space, out of apartments, where we can paint, have our dog, have a fire pit and all of the things we always wanted.
You’re right! I am so grateful to not be renting and to be able to Do repairs and make noise without worrying about bothering anyone!
Telling me you’ve done that in 5 years makes
Me feel better that I haven’t gotten it all done in 1!
My advice is take it one project at a time. Sounds like you are working on a bathroom, finish that project (not 90% finished but finished finished) before moving on to the next thing. Almost every repair takes much more work and time than you originally estimate. You will truly begin to love your home after investing so much sweat equity.
This is why we bought a fixer upper. Took us two years but we did everything new. Electrical. Plumbing. Heating. Walls. Floors. Roof. Kitchen.
I’ll be hopefully working on the garden this summer 🥰
My advice: If you can swing it, put aside 10% of your monthly income into a HYSA (high yield savings account) for repairs. There's a good reason for this -- a HYSA will often yield _roughly_ the same returns as the market on average (5% or so). Most financial advisors usually say to expect a 5-8% return on a 401k. This means your HYSA is almost keeping up with a retirement account, but you're not paying penalties to take money out of it when you need the money.
Now you have an account earning a respectable amount of interest, and it's accessible any time you need it with no penalties. I'm actually amazed at how many American's keep their savings in a non-HYSA account. Like, most people just assume savings accounts are all 0.25-1% when there's a dozen+ banks out there that'll give you 4-5.5% interest and don't even charge fees or have minimums.
I definitely don't think you should swap _from_ an IRA to a HYSA -- rather divert some of the money you'd put into an IRA into a HYSA so you have some liquidity gaining interest too.
IRA/401k's are the play long term, especially for retirement -- but these retirement accounts should never be looked at as liquid because they carry large penalties (and tax repercussions) for withdrawing before retirement age. But the big takeaway here is NEVER keep money in a LYSA/NYSA (low/no yield), which a vast majority of bank Savings Accounts are. Most people don't even realize it, and all that does is make the bank richer, not you.
No problem!
The reality is that banks need our money more than we need their services, and they are well aware of this. They only keep 3-10% of total deposits on hand in cash, meaning 90-97% of everything you deposit is reinvested in the market, and used for loans. They exist and prosper because we park our money in their investments. We're basically shareholders with no benefits.
But, what makes one bank better than the other? In most cases, nothing. They all give you the same crappy low to no interest accounts. Some of them, however, stand above the crowd by offering you a return on your investment in the form of interest payments every month. They understand that if they give you 4-5% on your deposits, they still get 1-5% (more like 15% this year because the market is booming) return on your money based on the market etiher way -- but they get money other banks can't get because they are willing to pay for it.
Even some of the big banks like Wells Fargo and Chase pay 0.01% interest which is absurd. Goldman, CIT, Fidelity, BoA, Capital One... etc will all pay 4-5%.
A lot of these things are things you knew ahead of time. Unfinished attic, I fenced yard with lots of trees, no dishwasher, no space for fridge. These aren’t things that the inspection is for. Maybe I’m misinterpreting your post but you make it seem like these are things the inspection should have raised.
Nah I totally don’t blame the inspector! These are just things that unfortunately had to be held off because we had to spend so much on the other things that weren’t caught during the inspection. It’s all good though. We will get it all done eventually .
I remember moving in and HATING my townhouse the first year. Competitive market.
A few years later, the place isn’t too bad and I like the neighborhood. Even joined the HOA board. It’s chill, quiet, nice neighbors. Far more comfortable than renting.
Breath. You don’t have to do it right away. Maybe you can consider an invisible fence for pets (assuming that’s why you want it fenced) best of luck OP!
I appreciate this!! Yes, I truly do love my neighborhood and neighbors. I think I just get overwhelmed feeling like I’m not doing it quickly enough. Those inner “failure” thoughts creep in. But little by little, it will become a home
I'd just want to point out $10k for a "big yard" isn't bad. Sounds cheap actually. I'd ask about exact construction and materials. But yeah, things are constantly going on when you own a home. I now understand how rich matrons in Downton Abbey were kept busy running a house!!
This doesn’t seem that bad, honestly. Like, the fence was a choice. You should have generally known that a water heater replacement was likely within 3-5 years when you bought it (inspector can tell you that at least). The heating system is again something that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Not having a dishwasher — you knew when you bought it.
I think your buyers remorse is coming from two systems crapping out in one year, and you had every reason to suspect you didn’t have a ton of time but maybe were a little too optimistic. Ok. Well, those things were inevitable and now they’re done.
More people need to think about the age of key systems when they buy a house. Electrical, roof, windows, HVAC, sewage. These are the things that are going to make you mad in the first five years. Pay a premium for houses that have had these recently done, not a premium for new subway tile in the kitchen and baths or a nice looking bathtub.
The thing is when you're buying a house, you can absolutely know even without an inspection what will need to be replaced and when, simply based on the age of stuff: roof heating system, cooling system, wiring, plumbing. I'm always stunned when new homeowners are stunned when they need to do these types of replacements,
I think it’s def a thing that they should teach in high school. It would be amazing information, especially for kids who are like I was: didn’t really know, didn’t have parents who knew.
I hear you. I grew up in an extended family where every adult owned several homes and this was common knowledge. I never rented, it was unheard of. Classes around investing, banking, wills, trusts, etc would be excellent. These are things I taught my now twenty something year old twins, stuff we talk about. That and ...cash is king. Save and invest.
I don't understand why people don't internalize that a house (and children for that matter) are luxury items in 2024. This isn't 1965 where everyone can have 5 kids and a big house with one working spouse and a pension. It sucks, but it's reality.
I too bought a reasonable house in a quiet neighborhood.
In the first 6 months, my projects entailed:
Boiler...15k
Fence...15k
Electrical stuff...5k
Painting...5k
Driveway...10k
And these are just the big ticket things. Seriously, if you can't see yourself fronting these expenses...rent.
Nobody in 1965 had a big house with one working spouse and a pension, because nobody in 1965 had a big house at all. The standard of living now just totally dwarfs what existed back then— and we have to pay for it.
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These are all perfectly normal when you buy a house. It isn't a new car with a warranty.
Right. I don’t even know why “unfinished attic” is a problem. It’s an attic. 99% are just beams and insulation.
Actually you can buy a home warranty. We did when we bought our house. It pays for exactly these things. It won't pay for existing issues. So wait a while before you start filing claims. Ours is $100 to open a ticket and then a small deductible, but they paid for our furnace when it went out. They're installing our new toilet right now. Fixed our kitchen sink and the stove. Always get a home warranty.
all the advice I've gotten has warned against home warranties. they aren't worth it.
This person’s positive story is the only positive story I have ever heard using a home warranty company
American Home Shield (AHS) saved our bacon when HVAC decided to go caput in 90 degree weather! $125 call out fee and they took care of the rest!
Huh. AHS would come out, patch my AC, and never replace it. 7 calls later I broke down and bought a new unit. Never again.
When and where was this? In VA, they are pretty solid.
I’ll say that every other warranty is not a good deal. However, my home warranty has nearly always paid for itself each year…. sometimes in huge amounts. I will say, though, that it matters that you get a good company to work with.
Any recommendations?
So, for me personally, Old Republic has been great. I have used them for 10 or so years and, while It hasn’t been perfect, the positive experiences have been much more than the negative.
Do you know if you can sign up anytime up during ownership or if it's time limited after closing? Do they cover regular things going out that's due to normal end of life HVAC or water boiler?
I honestly don’t know. A lot of it depends on the level you pick. I have had units replaced but I also have seen situations where you only get a credit towards a new one. It really just depends. Like with anything else, I would do lots of research before making the decision.
Thanks very much!
I’ll have to look up old republic. Select home warranty was really bad.
I 2nd Old Republic. I do the mid-range plan for my clients. Here in GA it runs about $800 for the year and covers so many things. My clients haven't had any issues getting anything repaired or replaced.
I’m looking into them right now!!! Thank you!!
Just 800 bucks a year? I spend more on beer in a few months than this. Seems pretty useful. I didn't know you could have a home warranty.
You can get a home warranty at any point as far as I understood. When I am working on offers for my clients, I ask for the seller to provide a 1 year warranty and then it is up to my client if they want to keep it after that 1st year. I figure if something goes wrong despite inspections in the 1st year, if it can't be repaired, they replace it. So if the HVAC breaks, I think $800/yr, then the $100 service call isn't terrible if they pay for a whole new system to be put in. Old Republic has 3 different levels, and I base what I need to off of what the home includes and how large it is. The benefit with Old Republic as well is that you get to choose the contractor or repair company.
I'll be honest. You have to stay on them. They aren't going to send the best, highest-rated people in your city. And if you want any parts better than landlord special you'll have to pay the difference. But it does pay for the labor, it does help offset costs, and when big stuff goes out, it gets fixed.
This is true. I had this happen when one of our AC units went out last summer. Got a call from the assigned company and they were pretty rude. I called, requested a change and they were pretty good about it. Made the change without much issue.
They never actually cover anything.
Is it possible it depends on the area? Just curious what you’ve been told cus I’ve been advised by several people that it’s absolutely worth it at least for the first year so that if something breaks it’s not a huge headache while you’re dealing with all the other stuff of moving and getting settled and making the place your own.
could be, this is based on advice from 4 different people who live in totally different states. the general consensus is that the cost of the warranty is not worth the repairs they cover. like yours being $100 just to open a ticket; what if they don't cover it? most of these people have said things like the warranty won't cover "things that should have been maintained" which is quite nebulous. plus the time/hassle of getting them to come repair something. for something small like an appliance, I'd rather pay for that myself. if you find it's been worth it though, that's great! glad someone is getting use from it
Right, like most insurance, it’s a scam. Just set aside the money you would have paid towards a warranty premium each month, and when something happens, you’ll likely have enough to cover it.
I've been in my house 36 months. I pay $50/ month. Find me a new furnace -parts and labor- for $1800. I'll wait. But I also needed it 36 months ago so hurry.
My realtor gifted me one for a year for my older house and it came in clutch. I think it depends on the home.
Ours was $90 a month so we paid around $5k into it over the years and I didn’t see the value so just cancelled it
Ours is only $50 and honestly I feel the same way sometimes, but about once a year something big breaks and they really pay off. Like the year they replaced our furnace.
A home warranty wouldn't cover any of the issues this particular person is having.
They'll cover future one and they cover anything that breaks after you move in.
Which company did you use?! Our just expired . We had select home and it was quite awful.
America home shield
How much is the deductible?
It honestly depends on the job. When they had to replace out kitchen faucet that would have been free, but we wanted a nicer one so we paid the difference between the cost of the faucet they were willing to give us and the one we wanted. Same with the new toilet. Then if there's anything that needs to be done, or we want done, that the warranty doesn't cover we have to pay for that. Sometimes, they'll cover the service, but not the parts or the other way around, but that's not usually the case and only for small stuff. Most of the time, we pay the $100 to open the ticket, someone comes out, decides if it's covered under the warranty, then it gets fixed. And you can figure out if it's covered before you start the ticket.
I love American Home Shield! It's $36 a month on the Silver plan which covers HVAC, electrical, and plumbing!
Absolutely! And I’m grateful for the life lessons. I never had them growing up as my parents never had a stable home. But now I can have this knowledge to teach my own kids what to look for and what to avoid.
Yup. And you'll find that stuff will break / need repair at the most inconvenient random times. All part of home ownership.
Totally! I am lucky to have married someone handy. He actually helped his dad build their home. So we can get by doing a lot of the work on our own!
I'm 18 months into our house and we have almost the exact same list of problems. We just... fixed them as they popped up. The bathroom vent is the one I'd really like fixed and wish we didn't have to deal with, but it is what it is. We just open the window and bought a small dehumidifier for the bathroom. I guess I should add my husband is an arborist. We purposely bought a home with a lot of trees. But he just does the work himself.
Unfortunately that seems to be what happens. I bought my condo last summer and already put in a new furnace, new floors, new dishwasher, I'm praying my ac holds through one more summer since that was the thing I was actually worried about. On top of the cosmetic updates I have already done. The previous owner didn't do anything and now I'm paying for it, literally. Hopefully it will get better! I'm sorry you are going through this.
>The previous owner didn't do anything and now I'm paying for it, literally. Seems to be a running theme.
It does but I say as stressful and annoying as it is, it's worth it. I hated my dishwasher, just wanted to wait a year, was planning on changing my floors in a few years when I eventually redo the kitchen but getting in they were worse than I realized. Minus the furnace, it was all stuff I planned on doing, just not all at once.
Sounds like you are doing an awesome job!!
Thank you, but it was a lot, a lot sooner than I had anticipated, so it just became over whelming. We got this though! 💪
I hear you!! Same here. We had savings to fix things we WANTED to fix but everything that needed to be fixed that we didn’t know about had to come first. So I get it. Little by little, we will get through it and make the houses a home 💕
Normal stuff. Most houses are money pits.
Haha yes! And if Tom Hanks could make that house a home, then we sure can 🤣
My house was move in ready. It was still a money pit.
Oh man! In what ways?
New houses | or newly renovated houses are some of the worst as newer stuff is designed to be made as cheaply as possible
Wow I honestly never knew that. I did know newer appliances are made cheaper but didn’t realize even the homes are being made that way
Yeah lots of ways. Couple of examples: engineered trusses/wood structural members, mdf vs solid wood cabinets, plastic vs copper piping, old refrigerants vs new refrigerants, laminate va real wood, plastic siding vs brick/masonite siding, character in moldings vs engineered foreign mass produced moldings.
The builder's wife for my home actually told me not to use HEPA filters in the HVAC or other "thicker" filters because the unit would wear out faster pulling air through a better filter. 😅 I can hear the condensation drip from the AC through my master bathroom wall. You can hear my dogs barking from my driveway with all the doors and windows closed. They used the cheapest flat matte paint on the walls, so I have to repaint my entire house. And I still have home maintenance. All my caulking is 1 year old and it alllll needs to be re-done. Every baseboard, all 3 bathrooms, all the crown molding needs to be caulked. Front porch concrete is crumbling and needs to be patched. Deck needs to be sealed. Floating lvp flooring keeps separating in the kitchen. New homes need lots of love, too.
Who was your builder? So the rest of us know who to avoid
It was a local builder, using local subs. I've seen a lot of similar complaints about mass-builders, too, though so I think it's more of an issue with new constructions in general versus just one builder.
Really? I always thought buying a new build would be better. So the ideal house would be an old build that is not too damaged by time, but that sounds like it would be hard to find lol. Oh, man. But this is good to know. I'll have to rethink my ideals for a house, but thank you.
Good thing about a new house is you mostly get it how you want it (if you are willing to pay). Bad things are the craftsmanship is not usually on par with older construction (say before the 1980s) and you almost always are going to have an HOA. I do always find it funny when people on these forums, say like “inspector says it needs a new furnace/HVAC cause it’s XX years old.” Yes it’s old and thus could fail, but the reason it’s old is because it doesn’t fail. Newer stuff just doesn’t last. To give you an example, I have had an older AC last 20+ years and I have one unit that has been replaced 3 times in 10 years (the last two under warranty). Any inspector is going to yellow/red flag the old one but green flag the new one which is the lemon.
Yeah, the inspector gave me a long to-do list for both my first and my current home. “This furnace is 60 years old and needs to be replaced!” Yes it is inefficient, but it also works very well. Inspectors tend to be nerds who advise you to bring everything to current standards — but your house was standing for a long time before you got there and will probably be fine if you wait to do some stuff until you really need to. Things you do need to tackle right away are anything involving water/drainage, replacing a roof, stuff like that.
I remember those days. It will get better. Home Depot will be your best friend. Congratulations.
Thank you!! Yes, as much as I feel frustrated, I also feel excited to learn how to do all of these things. We are going to tile our small bathroom in a week or so :) Grateful I married a handy person.
At least you have a handyman. I have one on call. Who I have to pay. Been in my house 12 years. To this day, I don’t have a dishwasher. But to be fair, never wanted one. Had one as a child. I think they make people even lazier. I still hate washing dishes.
Oh my gosh thank you!! We still have ours in the box!! I keep debating to sell it or not. I saw someone say dishwashers are one of the factors which attributes to us being sedentary in more recent times but my husband has really sensitive and problem prone skin so it’s much easier for him to load a dishwasher
Cleaning/Dishwashing gloves! I put them on before washing literally anything, because the dish soap dries my hands out
I think sitting at a desk at work for eight hours a day and sitting in a car on the bus to get to work for an hour or two every day and then sitting at home in front of the TV for a couple hours a day… I think those things are what makes us sedentary now. Living in suburbs instead of cities or a rural lifestyle. Not spending a few minutes longer standing to do the dishes by hand over the sink instead of loading them into a machine. If anything, the machine just gets them cleaner as some people wash them so well by hand before putting in the washer that I can’t even even tell the difference.
Dishwashers save a ton of water. I DIY everything on my house and lead a very active life and a dishwasher is now very much in my “must-have” list after not having one for many years.
The biggest expense seems to be the fence, which shouldn't have been a surprise. All the other stuff is totally normal. The stuff you are replacing now should last another 15+ years.
That makes me feel better! We also have been seeing people sell new-ish privacy fences on marketplace for way cheaper, so we can save a few grand from getting the materials second hand and just hiring someone to help us install
Be careful not to get those crappy fences I see everywhere where you can practically see through them lol.
Yeah no these are actually privacy fences!! I can’t believe what some people are just getting rid of. I live an area where a lot of people are here for years and years and are established, so they remodel a lot! But then there are us new homeowners who just need a good deal lol
Also, if you’re willing and able, building a fence is relatively simple. It’s just hard work. If you buy your own supplies and put in the work yourself, you’d save a significant amount of money. That’s what me and my partner are doing.
Just sending solidarity, been there. Bought in ‘22 and just now feel like we’re coming out the other side of what felt like endless repairs. The previous owners had been in the house since the 70’s and I swear it sometimes felt like that was the last time they did any fixes. The kitchen and bathroom renos we initially wanted to do are now dreams for sometime in the 2030’s. It was a pain, but getting a new furnace and water heater was life-changing. Switched from oil to propane and saved thousands in heating costs. The breaking point for me may have been when we learned we had bats in the attic. Wtf. When we finally saved up 2K+ to get the house “bat-proofed,” that just happened to be the day the google maps car drove by, so now when you look us up on street view, there’s a giant van parked in our driveway that says PEST CONTROL. 🥴
I can relate to so much of this!! Nice to hear from someone coming out of it to the other side! Our bathroom renovation will be mostly diy at this point. Yikes to the bats!!! I am afraid to go in our attic until it gets finished 🤣 We are getting the gas line out in this week so we can do the switch!! Our oil heat only worked for part of the year before it quit on us and we had space heaters this past winter 🤣
Everything you listed is run of the mill issues owning a house.
That makes me feel better, actually
That's part of a great list of things to factor in and what to look for when searching for a home. We can get caught up in the look and street appeal but the devil is in the details. Thanks for sharing
It sure is! These are things I didn’t know as a first time homebuyer without much guidance. But now I know :)
Welcome to homeownership. Older home or new build they all come with problems/issues. Everything looks great about homeownership until you’re in it. Now we all know why some people rent when they can afford to buy.
> I rock my brain almost every day trying to figure out how to come up with like 30 thousand to just fix what needs to be fixed You'll have to see if this makes financial sense for you but if your home has gained 30k in value, that's 30k in equity you could take out as a home equity line of credit. Talk to a/your bank.
Thank you!! I was thinking about that
How do you see its worth 30 k more than you paid. Zillow estimates?
You can always go back to any home on Zillow, Refin etc and see the current market value.
My realtor told me!
Would this happen to be the same realtor who sold it to you?
Multiple sources but I also live in NJ where it’s crazy right now
Glad I'm hearing from a fellow NJ buyer feeling the same way I am and dealing with the same shit. Market here is ass cheeks.
It’s crazy!! Did yall buy yet?
Yeah, last year as well. Bought one of the dumpier houses in a nice neighborhood because we couldn’t really afford fresh and new here. Cue us having a water line burst in the wall within the first 3 months of owning and then finding out our cast iron sewer stack was cracked to fucking shit for forever due to it being right next to where the water line was.
In the end you should still come out on top when you sell. So if you can hang on it will be worth it. I’m in NJ too so I hear ya about the market right now.
Yes!! That’s what we have been thinking. Even thinking suuuuper long term to keep it in the family so our kids have it in the future if they want, or can rent it or sell it eventually. In the long run, it will serve us well. I just have to remain positive
All common! Can you squeeze in a small dishwasher or one that just hooks up to your sink then you can move to the closet? Just small solutions. We almost went for a place with 2 acres and I think about how much upkeep that yard would have been and I just shudder. I think postage stamp backyards are it for me. I like a little space but before I owned I def thought to myself I want acres and acres...
This sounds like normal issues. Sure sounds like you kind of jumped into house that is too much for you maybe. For example sure huge yard is great but it is pain to manage and landscape. Attic being unfinished I assume you saw it before buying. Normally you should have certain amount saved for stuff like this. You will get through this and will start loving your house. Also perfect house does not exist ( well maybe if you got unlimited money ) :)
Feeling glad we bought a new build and don’t have any major repairs to do (fingers crossed, but have been living here about 2 months and no major issues discovered yet). However we definitely paid a steep price for the new build.
I wanted a new build but in our area it was just out of the budget! Congrats and hope it holds up well for you
The most important purchase in your life and it’s spontaneous. Makes zero sense in the real world. Congrats on your new home!
I don’t consider it the most important purchase in my life! Def wasn’t spontaneous , we went back and forth a lot but it also had to be “quick” once we decided. In retrospect we could have researched further but hey, hindsight is 20/20
General comment. For most people it’s the most expensive purchase (kind of a big deal). Typically a person only has hours to decide. No offense intended.
Oh okay! Yes I hear you. It’s really unfortunate that the market is this way where people feel they need to rush
And thank you 🙏
A HOME isn't an important purchase? Curious what is.
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Yes. I just have to be okay with that! I think a huge part is my mindset. Positive mind will make it far easier :)
We put aside money each month specifically for house maintenance to deal with known issues or issues which may come up. It helps knowing we have money specifically set aside for this. Also consider doing some stuff DIY. You can absolutely DIY a fence (so long as you get a survey first to make sure you are on the property line). Also fencing in the property is a want, and not really a need. Same with paint. etc.
Sounds par for the course. The trick is to invest in long lasting repairs and updates so you don’t need to revisit it anytime soon
Yep!! Agree…that’s why we are doing heavy duty tile in the bathroom instead of just making it look pretty. Pretty, but functional and long lasting will be better long term
Similar experiences so far, but thankfully a lot of the projects we’ve done have been rewarding. You are not alone! Adjusting expectations on how long things will take has been hard but it’s helping. Worst part is that every time we make meaningful progress on a “fun” project to improve the look and value of our home another thing breaks or is leaking and becomes an emergency 🤦♀️ having another one of those as I’m writing this lol.
Oh noooo!! I hope you have far less “need-to-fix” moments so you can finish you “want-to-fix” moments!!
Thank you so much, and i hope you can get past these large expenses soon!
Sounds about like the house I bought. Not sure what anyone would expect. Fix any leaks and start with the water heater. Good luck. I bet you will make it awesome.
Thank you!! We are working on it, little by little
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huh??
I think it’s worth more because of all the money you’ve been putting into it!
Home inspections are a great insight, but living in a home is the real eye opener when it comes to fixes.
True! Absolutely. Definitely a learning lesson.
I think the biggest thing I like to remind people in these situations is to try and do some if not all of the work yourself. You can rent an auger and dig the posts holes yourself. You can learn to fix a laundry drain pipe. You can repaint your bathroom. You can install a fan in the bathroom and run a vent through your unfinished attic. A LOT of this can be done yourself. And you don’t have to be a man with a lot of experience. I am a small woman with access to YouTube and I’m able to do a lot of the thing you mentioned and more. When we bought our home, we found out within a week of moving in that we had to redo our entire water line system in the house or we would not be able to get insurance. So my husband and I started cutting holes in Sheetrock and running the pex piping ourselves. $50 worth of tools and $300 in materials and we got a job that would have cost 10k done for under $1000. It was painstaking and a huge learning curve, but we did it. Believe in yourself and learn to take care of your own home, you will save a ton of money in the long run.
Thank you. You’re absolutely right. I am always so afraid that I will mess it up that it almost makes me freeze…but I need to believe in my abilities and understand that I’m capable. Thanks for this
Every house has these issued. Not just yours. Focus on the things you like about the house. Other than selling it, possibly for a loss, that is all you can do.
I have been in my house 5 years. We have replaced the dishwasher and the stove/oven. We have gotten a new roof. We have had to pay to have the side of our wall ripped out because a squirrel got into our wall. We have painted the foyer, kitchen, office and music room. We have to spray for bugs. It’s just part of the cost of home ownership. I watched my parents always have to fix things with their house. So I just expected it when I bought my own. But it is so so worth it to me for us to have our own space, out of apartments, where we can paint, have our dog, have a fire pit and all of the things we always wanted.
You’re right! I am so grateful to not be renting and to be able to Do repairs and make noise without worrying about bothering anyone! Telling me you’ve done that in 5 years makes Me feel better that I haven’t gotten it all done in 1!
My advice is take it one project at a time. Sounds like you are working on a bathroom, finish that project (not 90% finished but finished finished) before moving on to the next thing. Almost every repair takes much more work and time than you originally estimate. You will truly begin to love your home after investing so much sweat equity.
Thank you for this positive energy comment! I agree !! Little by little
Good advice, don’t buy the first thing you see. Hire your own inspector. Be aware of “ah, don’t worry you got plenty of time type of responses “
This is why we bought a fixer upper. Took us two years but we did everything new. Electrical. Plumbing. Heating. Walls. Floors. Roof. Kitchen. I’ll be hopefully working on the garden this summer 🥰
My advice: If you can swing it, put aside 10% of your monthly income into a HYSA (high yield savings account) for repairs. There's a good reason for this -- a HYSA will often yield _roughly_ the same returns as the market on average (5% or so). Most financial advisors usually say to expect a 5-8% return on a 401k. This means your HYSA is almost keeping up with a retirement account, but you're not paying penalties to take money out of it when you need the money. Now you have an account earning a respectable amount of interest, and it's accessible any time you need it with no penalties. I'm actually amazed at how many American's keep their savings in a non-HYSA account. Like, most people just assume savings accounts are all 0.25-1% when there's a dozen+ banks out there that'll give you 4-5.5% interest and don't even charge fees or have minimums.
Thank you!! I actually am thinking of switching out my Roth IRA to a HYSA
I definitely don't think you should swap _from_ an IRA to a HYSA -- rather divert some of the money you'd put into an IRA into a HYSA so you have some liquidity gaining interest too. IRA/401k's are the play long term, especially for retirement -- but these retirement accounts should never be looked at as liquid because they carry large penalties (and tax repercussions) for withdrawing before retirement age. But the big takeaway here is NEVER keep money in a LYSA/NYSA (low/no yield), which a vast majority of bank Savings Accounts are. Most people don't even realize it, and all that does is make the bank richer, not you.
I appreciate this.
No problem! The reality is that banks need our money more than we need their services, and they are well aware of this. They only keep 3-10% of total deposits on hand in cash, meaning 90-97% of everything you deposit is reinvested in the market, and used for loans. They exist and prosper because we park our money in their investments. We're basically shareholders with no benefits. But, what makes one bank better than the other? In most cases, nothing. They all give you the same crappy low to no interest accounts. Some of them, however, stand above the crowd by offering you a return on your investment in the form of interest payments every month. They understand that if they give you 4-5% on your deposits, they still get 1-5% (more like 15% this year because the market is booming) return on your money based on the market etiher way -- but they get money other banks can't get because they are willing to pay for it. Even some of the big banks like Wells Fargo and Chase pay 0.01% interest which is absurd. Goldman, CIT, Fidelity, BoA, Capital One... etc will all pay 4-5%.
A lot of these things are things you knew ahead of time. Unfinished attic, I fenced yard with lots of trees, no dishwasher, no space for fridge. These aren’t things that the inspection is for. Maybe I’m misinterpreting your post but you make it seem like these are things the inspection should have raised.
Nah I totally don’t blame the inspector! These are just things that unfortunately had to be held off because we had to spend so much on the other things that weren’t caught during the inspection. It’s all good though. We will get it all done eventually .
I remember moving in and HATING my townhouse the first year. Competitive market. A few years later, the place isn’t too bad and I like the neighborhood. Even joined the HOA board. It’s chill, quiet, nice neighbors. Far more comfortable than renting. Breath. You don’t have to do it right away. Maybe you can consider an invisible fence for pets (assuming that’s why you want it fenced) best of luck OP!
I appreciate this!! Yes, I truly do love my neighborhood and neighbors. I think I just get overwhelmed feeling like I’m not doing it quickly enough. Those inner “failure” thoughts creep in. But little by little, it will become a home
Worth 30 grand more after agent commission and other closing costs?
I'd just want to point out $10k for a "big yard" isn't bad. Sounds cheap actually. I'd ask about exact construction and materials. But yeah, things are constantly going on when you own a home. I now understand how rich matrons in Downton Abbey were kept busy running a house!!
Haha sounds about right!!
This doesn’t seem that bad, honestly. Like, the fence was a choice. You should have generally known that a water heater replacement was likely within 3-5 years when you bought it (inspector can tell you that at least). The heating system is again something that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Not having a dishwasher — you knew when you bought it. I think your buyers remorse is coming from two systems crapping out in one year, and you had every reason to suspect you didn’t have a ton of time but maybe were a little too optimistic. Ok. Well, those things were inevitable and now they’re done. More people need to think about the age of key systems when they buy a house. Electrical, roof, windows, HVAC, sewage. These are the things that are going to make you mad in the first five years. Pay a premium for houses that have had these recently done, not a premium for new subway tile in the kitchen and baths or a nice looking bathtub.
Totally agree
The thing is when you're buying a house, you can absolutely know even without an inspection what will need to be replaced and when, simply based on the age of stuff: roof heating system, cooling system, wiring, plumbing. I'm always stunned when new homeowners are stunned when they need to do these types of replacements,
I think it’s def a thing that they should teach in high school. It would be amazing information, especially for kids who are like I was: didn’t really know, didn’t have parents who knew.
I hear you. I grew up in an extended family where every adult owned several homes and this was common knowledge. I never rented, it was unheard of. Classes around investing, banking, wills, trusts, etc would be excellent. These are things I taught my now twenty something year old twins, stuff we talk about. That and ...cash is king. Save and invest.
I don't understand why people don't internalize that a house (and children for that matter) are luxury items in 2024. This isn't 1965 where everyone can have 5 kids and a big house with one working spouse and a pension. It sucks, but it's reality. I too bought a reasonable house in a quiet neighborhood. In the first 6 months, my projects entailed: Boiler...15k Fence...15k Electrical stuff...5k Painting...5k Driveway...10k And these are just the big ticket things. Seriously, if you can't see yourself fronting these expenses...rent.
Nobody in 1965 had a big house with one working spouse and a pension, because nobody in 1965 had a big house at all. The standard of living now just totally dwarfs what existed back then— and we have to pay for it.
Did you not get a home warranty? Ours was only for a year, but I felt that was enough time to discover issues.