Buyer's Remorse - Avoid Costly Surprises
Buying a home is a process that most people will only go through once, and it should be a fun and positive experience. After all, this is the biggest purchase you are likely to make in your lifetime, and big moments are to be enjoyed. So you grab your list of new home "must-haves", start searching online for local listings, and you begin making calls to book some house showings. Eventually, you find 'the home', you put in an offer, and congratulations you are now a homeowner! But what happens when the dust settles, and you realize that your new home is full of surprises - and some are unpleasant ones?
There are so many details to consider when house hunting, that it can be very easy to overlook even big issues within a home. While sellers in Ontario are required to disclose any major issue with their home when selling, this does not mean they are always honest or transparent. The average buyer doesn't know what to look for throughout a house, and why would they - it's not what they do. This is where an experienced Realtor shines the brightest! They know exactly what to look for, how to spot red flags, and they have a network of trusted professionals to conduct full proper home inspections to eliminate any surprises.
Dream Home or Nightmare?
Recently a story was shared on CBC about a woman in St John's, Newfoundland who is now stuck with what is basically a worst-case scenario. She searched hard and found the perfect place to call home, an 800 square-foot bungalow right in the central area of the city. Everything seemed wonderful at first, she settled in and even set up shop for her small business that she runs from home. After a few months, however, she started hearing noises in her walls and under the floor. To her dismay, she discovered that she had a rodent problem - rats, specifically. She immediately called pest control and had them come to save her from her unwanted house guests, only to learn that the rats were the least of her issues. She had unknowingly purchased a converted mechanic's garage, that had not been properly renovated or even registered with the city. Even worse news came when pest control cut an access point into her attic, where they discovered charred beams and rafters - there had been a serious fire prior to the building's conversion, one that was never reported nor repaired.
Had she consulted an experienced Realtor, she may have saved herself from this heartache. Her Realtor would have made sure the home was properly inspected and raised a big red flag when the sellers blocked requests to see the attic, twice.
While this story may be quite bizarre and indeed a very unique case, these sorts of surprises happen all the time to unsuspecting new homeowners. Usually, it is not as dramatic as a rodent infestation or covering up a serious fire, but even small surprises could equal big headaches and a big hole in the pocketbook. Out of repair furnaces and roofs, plumbing and electrical not to code, drafty windows, and termite-infested decks are all potential surprises that can quickly destroy the honeymoon phase of homeownership - if you were unaware of them before finalizing the sale.
Get Expert Advice
As an experienced Realtor who has also completed many home renovation projects, I know exactly what to look for. This means I can catch major issues on the initial walkthrough - and my network of experienced home inspectors will catch everything else upon their inspection.
If you are looking to buy your first home, or even your fifth, using a trusted and experienced local Realtor is always the smartest way to go. We'd love to help you find the home you've been searching for, and we can even help sell the one you currently have. Give us a call today!
Posted by Greg Dewar on
Leave A Comment