I have owned four homes in my life, and I can tell you: The list of surprise expenses never seems to stop. Yes, I have always favored older homes, so I probably get more fix-its than someone with a brand-new house. But, I think that if your home is even just 10 years old, you are going to have to keep that savings account stocked with emergency funds, and keep that checkbook handy. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think it can be really helpful to prospective and recent homebuyers to know about the kinds of expenses — surprises, as well as costs that can easily escalate — that they may expect. So, I’m throwing this story open to readers to share their experiences.
Readers:
What problems have you needed to throw money at,
when it comes to repairing or maintaining your home —
things you never really expected, or
which ended up costing much more than you planned?
.
I’ll start our list by explaining my photo above: Tree damage. A tree on my neighbor’s lot fell half-way out of the ground and onto our fence. We were responsible for all damage, can you believe it. Had to pay to have the tree completely removed (from the point at which it crossed our property line), and I have yet to have the fence repaired. Yes: Insurance paid for some of it. But overall, less than 1/4 of the expense, I’d say. We have spent A LOT of money trimming, cabling, removing and repairing damage — all due to trees on our mature lot. Pain in the a** and definitely, an unexpected pain in the wallet.
Natalia says
This week we’re having a contractor come in to abate the asbestos mastic underneath the 70’s vinyl in our 1953 kitchen. That’s $600 down the drain before we spend a penny on new flooring. Because the mastic is stuck to the original 50’s linoleum (which, tragically, is asbestos-free), we’re losing that too, along with its sweet pattern. Reason for all this? We were kind enough to host a friend’s dog, and the dog ripped part of the floor to shreds, exposing the asbestos. Boo hiss.
We were going to have 9″x9″ marmoleum tiles cut to install afterward, but the price is outrageous (about $300 cutting fee, plus paying for twice as much surface area of flooring because they would cut it from their standard 13″x13″ tiles). It would have cost us a fortune to do our 15 sq ft kitchen, so we’re going with sheet marmoleum instead. It’s period appropriate at least.
pam kueber says
Gold star for you, Natalia, for having that mastic tested!!! Peoples, whenever anything old gets exposed — get it tested for vintage nastiness like asbestos and lead!!!
Ann-Marie Meyers says
I take that advice to heart. I was all set to repaint the peach colored (EWWW) trim and front door on my house to something more 1962 and less previous owner when I realized the picture window trim paint would need scraping. I am putting it off until next spring, because I just assume there is lead paint under there somewhere, and I don’t want it exposed until I have the money to deal with it.
jeanne says
Trees! They are pretty, but they are also a lot of work and shed debris! My last house had six 100+ foot oak trees on the property (and this is just a small city lot approx 80 x 120). Just raking leaves in the fall was sometimes overwhelming. And occasionally we’d get a random dead branch that would fall. One branch landed on the fence – which we had to repair and actually hire someone to remove the branch because it was “tree” size. I always worried one would fall on our roof, right where our bedroom was.
The scary part, was after one of those 80 mph storms blew thru (and knocked many trees in the neighborhood), it had started to uproot one of the oaks in the front yard. The tree actually tilted toward the street (and not the house, luckily). We got a quote to get it taken down and it was $3,000! We couldn’t afford that and just left the tree as is.
Fast forward a few years and we sold the house. The new owners mentioned to me that they got a quote for $9,000 to take down five trees (actually sounds like a bargain). I noticed they had them taken down, so I’m not sure what they ended up paying, but you can bet it was a chunk of change.
Trees are pretty, but they are a lot of work, cost money to maintain and can mess with sewer lines.
Jeff says
Jeanne, I know what you mean! My red oaks are gorgeous, and seemingly healthy, but one giant V-shaped one is leaning directly over the house, and in fact would destroy it if it fell, landing on the diagonal to cause the most damage!
I certainly hope this never happens, but I have considered removing it, or at least half of it, and my quotes were around 1000 bucks for half the tree- and it’s over 100 feet high as well.
I think I need to consider it as much as I hate to- maybe I’m crazy, since it’s been here much longer than the house, but my luck would have it that I’m the one it decides to fall on!
Anyway, food for thought….
Lauryn says
Jeff, I don’t know if you saw my post, but we had to remove a dead maple, over 100 years old, so it was quite large (and just waiting for a good storm to knock it down on our house or a neighbor’s). We heat almost entirely with wood, so we saved money (probably half the cost) by having them just take the tree down, then we cut, split, and hauled it to the backyard. I was amazed at how many people knocked on our door to ask us if the wood was available, so you might try and find someone who wants free firewood to haul it away for you and save part of the removal cost. Craigslist ad or a sign at a local co-op? I hate to think of taking down a healthy tree, but it would be far worse to have it fall on your home, especially if you have other trees on the lot.
Jeff says
Super thread topic, Pam.
Bought this 1953 Japanese aestetic ranch in Southfield Michigan facing a nature preserve, which comes with it’s own risks! Damage to foundation walls under the crawl space from burrowing creatures over the years, a collection of giant 250 year old red oak trees with trunks leaning OVER the house cause me great concern- city arborist said the trees were slow growing, and healthy, so they will stay for noe.
Allstate told me I didn’t need to take down the trees in question, and since the were here long before the house, I’m going with that!
Insurance will also, at least in Michigan, NOT replace thermopane windows that lose their gas over time- I have FOUR that need replacing, as well as a 15 year old roof that is dry, but ugly, but will have to wait until funds permit.
Installed a new gas forced air heating system two years ago, repleacing circulating hot water baseboard heat that was allowed to crack and break during the winter before the last owner fled in foreclosure, but was a known expense before I bought.
I did get lucky, though- the previous owner paid to get the main sewer line from the house to the street replaced when it collapsed- a half-acre run of pipe that was over 10k, I’m told, so at least that’s one worry off my mind!
Ima Pam says
We’re on a street of houses built over a farmstead in the early 60’s. I’m told clay tile pipe set end to end for field drainage was repurposed to carry stormwater. It runs who knows where under the properties (no records can be found) and fills a runoff basin. With time and the ravages of tree roots, regrading of surrounding farmland for more civilization (& more runoff coming our way)…the pipes became blocked with silt, the yard boggy. Water (and the occasional crayfish) would come up the basement drain. A regrade, french drain and external sump pump depositing overland took care of the problem…at no small expense.
pam kueber says
A crayfish coming up the basement drain — crikey!!!!!
Tut says
Lightning strike which luckily didn’t start a fire, but blew out a section of sheetrock, blew apart some downspout and gutter pieces, and took out lots of electronics (computers, DirecTV receivers & dish, AV receiver, Blu-ray player, the best plasma screen in the world, 1 phone (but not the rest), etc.
pam kueber says
Good one. We had this happen last year. Killed several TVs. Turns out: The cable TV was not grounded — shoddy installation.
Peggy says
In 2003, after buying and selling 6 houses in 20 years, I purchased a mid-century modern house in a fabulous neighborhood at what I thought was a fair price at the time. I paid a lot of money to have it inspected by a highly recommended structural engineer who said the house was in overall good shape, but would be needing some things replaced over the next few years – i.e. water heater, windows, etc. – the usual home maintenance issues. The seller was what I now call a “flash and dash” flipper who covered up a lot of problems with new sheetrock and paint and he installed a new roof over rotten sheathing. Because the house has a very, very low roof profile, the attic area is almost nonexistent and in accessible in places. Within a year I had to replace the covered patio and most of the dining and living room exterior walls because of previous and on-going water damage. That costly repair was $20,000. I tried to take legal action against the seller, but found out that is almost impossible to do and would have cost me a lot of money to attempt it. Over the last few years I have found many problems with the house while updating it and making routine repairs. The latest expensive fix came this year when I wanted to have wood floors installed in half of the house. The installers couldn’t complete the job because the slab was holding moisture. Further investigation revealed that at some point in the past all of the weep holes in the bottom row of bricks had been mortared over and the soil in the planting beds (installed before I purchased the house) had been piled against the house. Removing the beds, installing a French drain to amend the drainage problems, and drilling out the weep holes resulted in allowing the slab to dry and the wood floors could then be installed. I now have the neighborhood’s most expensive wood floors. Last year I sat down to figure up how much money I have spent on renovating and repairing the house and was astounded to see the total, and that was before the wood floor install. I love the house, and I love the neighborhood which was the reason I bought the house which has slowly become my “forever house”. I am now looking forward to the final big project which will be the kitchen next year. I am hoping no expensive surprises will be found, but given the past track record of repairs that would be the surprise.
gavin hastings says
Like Sinatra said “Regrets….I’ve had a few……”
2 important related issues here: Timing and Priority.
I love my house….but I wish that I had found it a bit sooner in life.
I have a 60 gallon stone lined electric waterheater in the basement (installed in 1977) with a damaged flush/empty faucet. It is an expensive ticking timebomb.
I also have a 15 year old asphalt roof…..laid on top of 1939 CEDAR SHINGLES,
Another trip to the equity loan.
My advice for new homeowners is to make a “MUST DO” list prior to purchase for yourself or loved one. No “for now”s allowed- usually “for now” becomes “for ever”… A 5 Year Plan of Action tackling the bones of an older home will pay off in the end.
Compromise with the Moneymaker.
Be frugal…..but not cheap- I am sure that my 35yr old waterheater was top of the line. Home Renovation $$$ is only wasted when you are replacing what you have already bought.
As to timing, if I were 30; I would be piling up the debt. At 53, it’s a different story. I only intend to be here a fast 20 years…with a good resale price. I will still reach for the “top shelf” but with a different perspective.
pam kueber says
What do you mean about “for now”?
gavin hastings says
…..i.e.: Someone suggested that I paint over the 70’s peach and beige ceramic floor tiles that the previous owners took right up to the ceiling….they said it would look better, for now.
Nope. I want it to be ugly right up until it comes down. Which will hopefully be faster!
pam kueber says
Ok – I get it. YES: My DH was very good in advising me (who wanted to do things to solve certain problems with stop-gap “for now” measures) NOT to spend ONE PENNY or ONE MINUTE working on things that were not LONGTERM solutions. I followed his advice — with one notable exception. One of our three bathrooms all covered with rotting plastic tile had blood red paint on the wall above. As we were making our renovation plan, and saving the money, I let it slide. Finally, after about a year and half, I could not take it any more. HAD to paint that wall — cream, as I recall (neutralized it). Took three coats and many hours. A year later, we gutted those walls. The other two bathrooms: Never a drop of paint went on them til they were renovated.
Jay says
MC modest ranch, how do I love thee? With dollar signs$$$. Purchased in 2002 and have since replaced the entire roof – shingles and plywood sheathing, new oil furnance, chimney liner. Not unanticipated, they were recommended as a 5 – 10 year plan by the inspector; just cost way more then I anticipated. I will confess to being in my 50’s so I don’t feel as if there is a lifetime to do everything I would like with the house. Not to mention a new electric service, there were still fuses!
Trees! Where to begin. Thousands of dollars have been spent removing trees that were planted too close to the house or planted at the property line. What were previous homeowners thinking? They were not maintained and were in poor condition. One at the property line even blew over in a high wind storm, luckily the neighbors car was not in their drive. I disagree with the laws that state that a tree once it falls on your property is yours even if it comes from a neighbors yard. I do have qualms about the sewer line and some of these posts give you food for thought. I guess everyone can relate somewhat to the movie ” The Money Pit”. Love the house you”re in, because i sure love mine.
Rosemary Thornton says
We just sold our 1925 Colonial because we couldn’t afford the repairs anymore. We spent $60,000 in four years, and the coup de grace was the untimely death of a 110-year-old oak tree in the front yard.
These days, I look at people in old houses and wonder, “How do they do it?”
Reminds me of the old joke: How do you make a million dollars in real estate?
Start with two million.
pam kueber says
Never heard that joke before. Good one. In a truly ironic way.
Gail says
I’ve heard it as how to make a million $ in the stock market – start with 2 million. So I guess there is probably no way to make a quick million….
Rosemary Thornton says
PS to Gwen’s comment. Home inspectors are a joke. I’ve had three very bad experiences with three very bad home inspectors. They check for reversed polarity in your home’s outlets and then they’ll miss the fact that the house is falling in on itself!
Gwen says
Rosemary – the running joke between my husband and me is that this guy was able to find the pin prick hole in the copper gutter but neglected to see that the entire roof was falling apart. Oh, and the sump pump that doesn’t work. But don’t get me started! 🙂
Mary says
Where to begin? My house was built in 1905, and along with the obvious things, as had a number of surprises, usually beginning with the sound of water. Luckily ,the things we had to repair ended up creating an opportunity to make the space much prettier! The upstairs bathroom vanity (U-G-L-Y) had a leak behind the wall. We ended up taking the bathroom back to the studs and now have a wonderful “master-quality” bath with subway tile. Another mystery leak in the kitchen ceiling allowed us to get rid of the U-G-L-Y flourescent lighting. Another issue that is waiting to be resolved is also a tree. The huge Chinese elm in the front has pulled up the sidewalk and has caused problems with the old rock wall and walkway into the house. Chinese elms are a “trash tree” that grow quickly and are very destructive. I much prefer to work on the “sexier” projects!
pam kueber says
Yup: WATER is the #1 enemy of homes, we have decided at our house. Ice dams, anyone?
Gabbie says
We have two different HVAC units for our house: one for the upstairs and one for the downstairs. One was 14 years old the other was 16 or 17 years old. This summer, in the middle of triple digit heat, they both died within a month of each other and had to be replaced. Ouch.