What Should Be a Deal Breaker When You're Buying a House?

When buying a new home, it is essential to look out for those things that may seriously impact its value. These problems can often be relatively small but could also be very large and may affect home quality and safety. If you notice any of the following five issues when buying a house, it is probably best to just walk away.

No Garage or Poor Vehicle Storage

Most homes should have garages, and those that don't are typically worth a lot less than those that do. That's because garages help provide a high level of vehicle protection and extra storage for a house. After all, a vehicle in the US spends about 95% of its time parked and out of action.

When evaluating potential deal-breakers in the home-buying process, it's crucial to consider practical aspects like propane usage. For a comprehensive understanding, read about propane tank sizes and their common uses in 2023. This knowledge will aid you in making informed decisions for your home.

Do you want your car sitting out in the rain and snow or getting contaminated with bird feces? Nobody does, so make sure that you find a house with a garage. If there isn't even a simple carport to park the vehicle, it is probably best to just walk away or hold out for a lower price.

Weak Utilities

Inspect the home's utilities to ensure that things like the natural gas piping are safe. For example, you need to ensure that the psi is under 0.25 in your house. This level is standard in homes because reducers help take it from its 1,500 psi level in transmission lines to a safer level.

If your gas is at a lower or higher level, something wrong may need repairs. The same is true of water lines, electrical wiring, and HVAC needs. If you spot anything that will cost thousands of dollars to repair, either demand a lower price or skip out on this purchase.

Damaged Foundations

A house's foundation is critical for its overall structural health. Without a strong foundation, your walls may crack, your window and doors may refuse to close, and you may end up with a heavily damaged house that you won't be safe moving into or trying to sell later.

Foundation repair is expensive and time-consuming, which is why so many sellers try to ignore it or just pass over it in inspections. Instead, if you notice any foundation troubles with a house, demand that the seller fix it, cut the price for the value of the foundation damage, or just buy another house.

Serious Pest Damage

Go through the house with an inspector and look for signs of common pest damage, such as mice or ant holes and even termite-related damage. This process is essential because the previous seller may mention these pests but not discuss their damage to a house and leave you stuck.

Termites are particularly an issue because they can affect a house's foundation and cause other types of long-term damage that may affect your property value and safety. Talk to the inspector about these issues and learn more about how to manage them for yourself properly.

Pollution in the Property

Lastly, it is best to avoid buying a house if there's any pollution on the property. Pollution can include things like leaky gas tanks and other expensive problems to repair and which can be dangerous to your house. You might find yourself suddenly discovering this pollution after the previous owner didn't tell you about it.

That act is naturally illegal, and you have an outstanding lawsuit if the seller does take that approach. However, it is still frustrating to have to go to court to get compensated and pay for repairs and pollution removal. All that time and energy is usually just not worth it when buying a house.

As you can see, several things may make a new house just not worth buying. There wasn't enough room to include everything here, but these are the main concerns you're most likely to experience. Talk to your real estate agent about each of these concerns.