Biggest mistakes to avoid as new home owner?

Question

Recently purchased my first home. What are the biggest problems new homeowners have to deal with? Is it the paperwork? Finding a good policy for mortgage/insurance?

Ty Coleman · Answer

Thank you everyone, great points about repairs and damages! Does anyone have any advice for how to handle going about paperwork? I know it's quite a process and there's a lot of different documentation needed (mortgage, taxes, insurance).

Brianna H. · Answer

My biggest issues when I purchased my home were neglect. We bought our house as a foreclosure, so we had some minor issues that needed to be addressed before we moved in (oil in carpet, sharpie on wall, missing light fixtures). Also, we had letters from our HOA stating that this was our 3rd and final notice before they took us to court because our satellite dish was too far forward and grass was too long...apparently they didn't care that we had just moved in when we received the final notice. :-P

My advice to a new homeowner is to fix/repair as much as you can before you move in. You will tell yourself that you are going to fix it right away, but something always comes up. We have been in our house for 4 years now and there are still some items that we have yet to check off our list from when we first moved in!

Tony SanFilippo · Answer

Well, there are many things to look at when becoming a new home owner.  Since it is fall, lets talk about properties in cold states.  The freeze is coming.  Are you ready?  Winterize your sprinklers, swamp coolers, unhook hoses and insulate hose bibs!

Inspection items are another important thing new home owners need to ensure were fixed.  For example if when you purchased your new home/rental, did the inspection have any drainage issues?  If the land next to the property does not have one inch of fall per foot for the first 3-4 feet from the foundation, you could have future foundation issues that can cost 10's of thousands of dollars.  Gutters with no down spouts, or leads, can cause foundation damage as well.

Down south, termites are a big issue.  If termites were found make sure you treat them

immediately if you didn't negotiate that prior to purchasing the property.  Were there any roof issues?  Leaks can cause other big issues that can grow out of control.  Black mold may form is leaks are not addressed ASAP.  Same goes for plumbing leaks, even not so obvious leaks like a wax ring on a toilet, may have a very small leak.  Use your foot to see how strong the floor around a toilet mounted to a wood floor.  If it has been leaking, the floor will often be soft and flex when pressure is applied.

That is a good start.

Andrew Syrios · Answer

It really varies. But often there are some repairs or things that break right from the get go that many new homeowners (who aren't buying new properties) weren't expecting. It's certainly something to be prepared for.