Top Five Maintenance Landmines

[Joey Copper]

Imagine all of the possible maintenance items plotted across a spectrum. On the left side are items that you just reactively fix as they present themselves. On the right side are items that require proactive considerations.

Today I want to talk about items that fall on the furthest right end of our spectrum. So far to the right in fact, that it’s probably best to remove them from the spectrum and provide them a special dot off to the right hand side.

These are the items that you should just avoid altogether. If you are considering purchasing a house with any of these qualities then please reconsider. If you already own a house with any of these qualities then you had better add to your emergency maintenance reserve fund.

• Finished Basement Built Before 1980

There is nothing magical about 1980 but it’s a decent delineation between “old” foundation walls and “new” foundation walls. Once water starts infiltrating the foundation walls it is extremely expensive to fix. If the basement is finished then foundation and drainage work might only a part of the total expense.

• Galvanized Plumbing Supply Lines

What could go wrong when a rust susceptible metal is used for water delivery? One day it seems fine and then next day none of your faucets dispense water. This expensive problem is magnified if the pipe runs under a slab foundation.

• Orangeburg Sewer Pipe

Imagine wrapping tar paper into a giant straw shape, burying it 10’ below group, and relying on it as the sole route to remove sewage from your property. Crazy, right? Why was this ever considered a good idea?

• HVAC Vents in Slab Foundation

This invites a long list of potential problems. Bugs and musty odors are a few potential small problems. Collapsed lines and radon gases highlight some of the more significant problems.

• Knob and Tube Wiring

I’ve heard several electricians state that “theoretically” knob and tube wiring doesn’t pose any fire risk. The insurance companies that won’t underwrite a property with knob and tube wiring don’t seem to care about theory. Much of the world has decided this is unsafe and there is not an easy fix.

This is not a comprehensive list and there is definitely some regional (Midwest) specificity but the advice is sage nonetheless. Avoid these maintenance landmines and be rewarded with furthering your real estate journey.

Please comment and let me know the “landmines” specific to your area.