Why Choosing to Purchase an Old Home Can Be a Money Pit
When we purchased our home, we were so excited. We opted to buy an older home because it had “character.” We had our heads so far in the clouds that we forgot to calculate the cost. Shortly after our move in, things started to fall apart one by one. Our dream home suddenly became a money pit nightmare.
There are certainly some disadvantages to buying older homes. Listed below are a few.
Faulty pipes
Since I have been in my home, I have spent tons of money on making repairs as a result of plumbing.
Lack of insulation
Plenty of cracks in an old foundation can lead to serious energy bills in the winter.
Rats
I don’t know why, but rats love old houses. They have plenty of cracks and crevices to slide into. Every time I get rid of one rat, I inherit two more.
Mold
Mold is a problem in a lot of old houses. You never know where it might lurk and it can be expensive to remove.
Faulty electrical work
If you purchase an old home, make sure that it is wired properly. Rewiring can be quite expensive.
Air Conditioner and heating unit may be as old as the house
It is no fun when your heating unit goes out in the middle of winter and you don’t have the money to repair it.
Your hot water heater may be ready to retire unexpectedly
When our hot water heater went out, I almost cried. It cost six hundred dollars to replace it.
Outdated windows
A lot of times when windows are old, they won’t open properly. It really bothers me that I can’t let fresh air in some of the rooms that I love to spend time in.
Excessive amounts of dust
I can never seem to get rid of the dust. I don’t know where it all comes from but I can certainly do without it. I spend a fortune on air filter refills.
Creaky floors
We can’t walk anywhere in our house without the floors making that awful creaking noise.
A leaky roof
A roof is one of those things that needs to be repaired immediately, or it will only get worse. A leaky roof can certainly eat a hole in your pocket if you are not prepared for the expense.
