Tim McLaughlin VP Weichert Financial Services
There is no “perfect” house. No matter how hard you look or how many homes your Realtor shows you, there is always something you want to change, regardless of how small the change is. So before you decide to cross a house off your list because of minor flaws, here are nine things that shouldn’t deter you from buying a home:
– Unappealing paint: This is one of the easiest and cheapest fixes, especially if you do it yourself. Don’t let someone’s poor taste in paint colors convince you not to buy. Most buyers would rather pay a premium for a house that doesn’t need fixes than take the time and money to do the repairs themselves, even when they are as simple as a fresh coat of paint
– Outdated wallpaper: Grandma may have liked the red velvet wallpaper, but maybe you don’t. It will take work to remove old wallpaper, but it’s easy to do cheaply.
– Tired kitchen cabinets: Cabinet re-facing can be done inexpensively and make your old cabinets look new.
– Unfashionable wall-to-wall mirrors: They might have been hip in the 1970s or 80s, but now they are eyesores that can be removed and replaced with paint.
– Drab window treatments: They may be one of the first things you notice when you walk into a house. You can either offer them to the old owners, or easily throw them out and buy whatever you want to replace them.
– Broken air conditioners or furnaces: The caveat is if the fixes are inexpensive. A pump for a boiler, for example, may cost a mere $250, so having to fix one shouldn’t necessarily stop you from buying an otherwise good home.
– A lack of closet doors: Buyers walk away from a house because the closet doors are missing: a very easy replacement.
– Bathroom grout discoloring: Buyers who see this may mistake it as the sign of a moldy house. While mildew can lead to problems, have the home inspector check if it’s something that can be fixed with a little scrubbing.
– High mortgage payments: Given the historically low interest rates that exist in the market place today, this flaw is an impossibility!
