While at the beginning of buying a house, sure, it’s understandable to feel wary, but once everything is said and done, well, buying a first house feels like crossing some big finish line, like the keys in hand, photos in front of the front door, mentally placing furniture before the moving truck even shows up. Oh, and the excitement of making this house cozy, what’s not to love there? But the problem here is that there were probably a lot of assumptions here and there. Of course, nothing bad tends to get explained in the listing, but a lot of first-time homeowners just still assume everything is fine and perfect until the first wave of issues happens.
And yeah, first-time homeowner mistakes aren’t always the obvious stuff like forgetting to change filters. The real ones tend to be boring on paper and expensive in real life. But, like what, though exactly?
Assuming You Own Everything About the Property
A lot of first-time buyers assume buying the land means owning all the rights tied to it. But in some places, that’s not how it works. So, mineral rights are a big example. Depending on the state and the deed, the rights to what’s under the ground might be owned by someone else, even if the house is owned outright. And okay, most people aren’t buying a suburban home expecting an oil company to show up, but it can still affect value, disclosure, and resale. It’s one of those “better to know now” details.
Actually, easements fall into this category, too. Utility easements can mean certain parts of the yard can’t be built on, or that access has to stay available. That’s how people end up planning a shed or a fence, then getting told it can’t go there.
Not Getting Prequalified for a Mortgage
Getting a mortgage is a large part of buying a house for countless people, but that doesn’t mean everyone knows the right approach to getting one. Many’ll leave it until they’ve already found a house to buy before approaching the bank. Getting prequalified for a mortgage ahead of time could be a smarter option. While you’re not guaranteed the mortgage later on, you’re likely to get it, and prequalification gives you a better idea of how much you have to spend.
Assuming the Inspection Included Every Add-On Test
A standard home inspection is helpful, but it doesn’t cover everything people assume it covers. Usually, the standard one you get before signing the paperwork to buy the house is the basic things like the roof being good, the last time things were renovated or placed, stuff like that, actually.
But very rarely is it every nitty gritty stuff (you have to pay extra), for example, sewer line issues are a big one, because a sewer scope is often separate. And yeah, a sewer repair isn’t one of those “deal with it later” expenses. Actually, this is also where radon testing comes up; a lot of people don’t know about this, but it’s also a pretty big deal, especially for homes with basements or ground-level living areas.
Treating a Survey Like a Luxury Upgrade
Skipping a survey or relying on an old one feels like an easy way to save money. A lot of buyers do this honestly. But it’s seriously not a good idea. You can pretty much expect problems the second the fence line isn’t actually the property line, or the driveway crosses over by a little, or the neighbor’s shed is technically on the lot. But stuff like that doesn’t always cause issues immediately, but when it does, it becomes annoying in a way that drains time and cash, which, yes, sometimes means court as well, and it can drag on for years while drama is still happening on a near-daily basis. It’s like an utter nightmare.