Buying a home is stressful. There are all these
emotions involved and so much money. Let’s face it,
purchasing a home is probably the largest purchase
of most people’s lives. As their agent, you have a
front seat to the freakouts, the stress, and to the
concerns.
So, here is the first part of our list of items that we
have seen clients freak out about and the reasons
why they shouldn’t.
Foundation repairs are one of the top freak out
items for clients and some agents. Walking into a
basement and seeing I beams can be disconcerting
to a buyer. There is the concern that this is the start
of a money pit. If the house you are looking at
already has steel beams, the good news is that the
foundation is almost always stronger than when it
was built. In addition, there are probably some type
of warranties from the company to further protect
your clients.
Typically an I beam is placed in the basement
because the foundation wall has begun to bow
inward. This is almost always caused by water that
is being directed to the house because of poor soil
grading and downspouts that do not take water far
enough away from the foundation.
Correcting the slope and extending the downspouts
away is an easy fix. It is also one that should be
monitored and worked on each year to prevent any
issues as part of a good maintenance program.
Second on that list is seeing a dehumidifier in the
basement. Not everyone that moves to Ohio knows
about basements. In some areas of the country, they
only build on slabs. We are repeatedly asked about
basements by out-of-town buyers. Even those who have
lived here for years might wonder what is going on if
they see a dehumidifier. Yes, seeing a dehumidifier
indicates that there is a moisture issue. Yes, this is Ohio
and not many basements stay dry. Habitation
Investigation recommends that every basement have a
dehumidifier as a standard method to maintain good air
quality in homes. Summers here can get very humid and
if the humidity gets high enough, the moisture in the air
can condense when it comes into contact with the cooler
temperatures found in basements and ductwork,
especially if an air conditioner is running. The
dehumidifier takes out that extra moisture to help
decrease the amount of condensation. So, a dehumidifier
actually shows that the current owner has been taking
care of the home your client is looking to buy.
Stay tuned for the next items on our list of what home
buyers freak out about, but shouldn’t. Feel free to
contact us at 614.413.0075 with any questions or to
schedule an inspection.
