Fairfax County VA Home Search Website Blog

Several years ago, there was a couple I knew who were in the market to buy Fairfax County, VA, homes for sale.  They looked unsuccessfully until one day their REALTOR® took them to see a home they instantly fell in love with.  So much so, they refused to take note of the numerous needed repairs which popped up on their inspection report.  One year and many thousands of dollars later, the couple’s dream house had turned into a nightmare, causing them to put the house back on the market, take a serious loss, and almost file bankruptcy.

We’ve all heard stories like the one above.  People fall in love with houses all the time and decide to look beyond the obvious problems and take a chance.  Unfortunately, those chances usually don’t turn out in the buyer’s favor, many times leaving homeowners wishing they had just said no.

So when do you turn down an otherwise spectacular home? 

• Structural Damage
  No house is going to have a perfectly clean inspection report.  That’s to be expected.  However, there are things which can come up on an inspection report that spell trouble.  Big trouble!  Structural problems such as a cracked foundation are expensive to repair and can lead to sinking walls and buckling floors.  They can also greatly reduce what you’re able to resell a house for.  Think long and hard about making a purchase which involves a lot of costly repairs.
• Wood Destroying Insects
  Depending on where you live, wood destroying insects such as termites might be par for the course.  What isn’t par for the course (along with being quite costly) is repairing extensive damage done to homes by wood destroying insects.  If an insect problem has gone on for a long period of time without anything being done, Fairfax County, VA, homes for sale can have numerous problems such as structural damage.  Think twice before purchasing a home with extensive insect damage.
• Poor Grading
  Yards generally slop in a fashion which carries water away from a house.  If, however, your inspection report shows your yard’s grading to be prone to carry water toward your home and you live in an area with heavy rainfall, you should find out the cost of having your yard regarded by a professional.  If the cost is high, you might consider passing on the house.

 When looking for a home, try to use your head more than your heart.  The home you love may seem perfect but a home inspection might uncover some serious flaws.  Talk to your REALTOR® about your home inspection report and find out what items are low cost repairs and what items are deal breakers. Even if a seller is willing to “fix” a major problem, if the long term chance is that the problem will reoccur or negative residual effects are possible, it might be best to say “next”.

It’s important to have a real estate agent you can trust!  If you are thinking of purchasing Fairfax County, VA, homes for sale and would like to talk with an expert, give me a call today at 703-909-3939 or email Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com now.  As your REALTOR®, you can count on me to point out any potential problems with a property we’re looking at as well as the good points.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939