prayers up please. It’s kinda rundown bc that’s all I can afford so I’m scared there will be something really big that makes it unviable to purchase. My neighborhood is starting to gentrify but the current owner wants to sell to me because she has only gotten offers from developers who want to tear it down and build some featureless cube. It’s a really pretty old old brick house. I always wanted to live in a brick house and this might be my best chance.

  • Assian_Candor [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    2 months ago

    Good luck. I love old houses but they are time and money sinks.

    Don’t be afraid to make it liveable over time. Most people are lazy and want turnkey. This is your edge as a bidder.

    You can fix anything besides water damage imo. Moisture is expensive to remediate.

    • bubbalu [they/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      2 months ago

      From my walkthrough it didn’t seem to be any water or foundation issues. The only big thing is its knob and tube electrical and had ancient plaster walls which the current owner took out but then couldn’t afford to replace. I can afford to get the electrical fixed and will slowly redo the walls over the next year.

      What I’m really worried about is a mold issue I didn’t detect in the hour or two I was looking at it originally…

      • AnarchoSnowPlow
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        2 months ago

        If you’re already planning on redoing the electrical you’re already planning for one of the “worst nightmare” scenarios.

        Foundation stuff would be a problem, roof stuff could be an issue, if you’re already dealing with ripped out walls, I would expect you probably would see any big mold issues.

        Good luck!

  • bubbalu [they/them]@hexbear.netOP
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    2 months ago

    I got lucky this year because our union got us a big bonus and I got lucky with state down payment assistance. But going through another round of inspections and this and that is going to really put a hole in my savings.

  • RedWizard [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    2 months ago

    That’s awesome! Get an inspection, I’ve seen a lot of horror stories over the last couple of years (even personal ones) where people are pressured to skip an inspection to land a deal, only to discover some real harry problems afterwards.

    • laranis@lemmy.zip
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      2 months ago

      Get two if you can, especially if the first inspector was recommended by your realtor. An inspector who gets work from a real estate agent is going to have an incentive not to jeopardize the sale, lest they not get called for the next one.

      On top of that little bit of misaligned motivation, of the three home inspections I’ve had none of them found things that ultimately ended up being problems. The most recent move I did the inspection myself, wrote up a little list with pictures, and got the seller to fix most of it right up.

      The OP is a first time home buyer and I wish them luck! Home ownership takes work even with the the best kept home. I just hope they take heed and go into it eyes wide open and we’ll informed as possible.

  • Philosoraptor [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    2 months ago

    Did the same thing two years ago–also in an older house that needed some work. As long as all the fundamental things are good (foundation, roof, etc.) are good, anything else can get fixed a little at a time. Definitely get your own inspection though, and be willing to walk away if there’s anything really serious wrong and the seller won’t fix it. The whole process is really scary and overwhelming at first, but don’t let them pressure you. You can always walk away until you sign. Good luck!