That’s an unbelievable amount of money to unexpectedly invest in a house you’ve only lived in for less than six months. The key lesson here is to really know the house that you’re buying. You should always hire an inspector to look for any issues. It is also good to have an exterminator investigate the house, particularly for termites, if the inspector recommends it. If you’re going to make such a huge investment in a new home, the small price of precaution is well worth it. The stories continue endlessly. I recently met a lady at a café with another awful first-time buyer story. I happened to overhear her conversation, so I decided to just ask them about it. Sue and her fiancé were searching for their first home with the intention of buying one before their wedding. They had been told about a home for sale, so they went in person to take a look. Sue and her fiancé knew what good quality was, and so they were able to see right away that there were problems. The basement doorway was weak. The upstairs bathroom floor bounced, and the light switches in the hallway seemed to pop and flicker. Although very nicely painted, this house didn’t fool them. When confronted with these concerns, the seller replied that they could always fix those problems later. Although their gut told them not to move forward with making a purchase, they agreed to a $10,000 price reduction and took the house. Big mistake! The problems they had noticed went much deeper. The weak basement doorway translated into unfortified walls leading downstairs. The bouncy bathroom floor had been wet under the linoleum and about three inches up two of the walls.
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