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6 Things that Could be a Deal Breaker in a New Home

House shopping can be fun, scary, interesting, exciting, and overwhelming. It can easily turn into an emotional roller coaster. But there are a few things to watch for when you house shop that can help make the process a little less stressful. Avoiding these 6 things will make for a much smoother process.

A less-than-ideal location

You can change most things about your new home, but you cannot change where it's located. Compromising on the location of your home will create a lot of pain points later on. Think about your home's proximity to work, schools, major arterial roads, etc.

Poor structure

Fixing a home's structure can be one of the most expensive and time-consuming things to remedy in a new home. Be on the lookout for foundation cracks (especially horizontal, wide cracks  - the thickness of your fingernail or more, cracks that are wider at the top), a sagging roof, sloping floor, leads, or doors or windows that don't work right.

Mold

Be sure to check for any indication of mold or mildew. Looking at the walls is important but be sure you check under the carpets, inside cabinets and around air conditioning and heating units. If you do see a mold colony, you should bring in an expert.

Plumbing Trouble

Your home inspector should be able to spot most plumbing troubles but be on the lookout for leaks, mold or wet wood panels.

Bad Insulation

In many states, the seller of the house will need to provide information about the type, thickness and R-value of insulation that will be instilled in the house during every sales contract. Again, this is an expensive problem to fix and could delay your moving into the home by quite a bit.

Poor Heating System

A new furnace can cost you upwards of $5,000 so be sure you and your home inspector get a good look.

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