
Trees that have significant root growth can cause damage to your water lines. Tree and shrubbery roots can grow into your pipes and sewer lines causing damage, backups, and broken lines.
The shifting of your house can cause damage to your pipes. When your house settles it can cause your pipes to shift, leading to blockages and leaks. This can be especially damaging when the leaks get into the foundation and start causing water damage.
Electrical wiring is another place that you need to check if your house is older. Older homes were not equipped to keep up with all the technology we have today. Outlets that are only 2 pronged need to be upgraded and grounded. Older homes that have not been upgraded and still have the knob and tube wiring can find it hard to get insurance coverage. It’s best if the wiring is older than 50 years for you to look into having it upgraded. Always have a certified electrical inspector examine the wiring.
These problems shouldn’t scare you away from an older home. If you have the budget available you should be able to make an older house the house of your dreams. Sometimes that is not the case. The repairs can add up quickly and the whole process can just be so overwhelming that you are ready to walk away. This is what happened to Issac and his rental property in Lorton, Va.
Issac’s Story
Issac is a 39-year-old physical therapist in Lorton,Va. He inherited an older home from his grandmother a few years ago that he has been renting out for extra income. Lately Issac has had to do a lot of repairs on his rental.
The house was built around 1953 and while his grandmother had maintained it, the house was older and needed to be upgraded. The current tenants had been in the house for about 10 years and have started to notice some needed repairs.
Issac had visited his tenants and they told him about electrical issues they had started noticing. Several lights were flickering and certain fuses were blowing frequently when 2 items were plugged into the same outlet.
The tenants had also noticed problems with restricted water flow and water not staying hot when they were trying to do dishes or take a shower. Since the house was so much older, Issac called in an electrician and plumbers to take a look at the problems.
The Inspection
The electrician was the first to come and look at the house. The first thing he noticed when he inspected the wiring, was that it had not been upgraded since the house was built. The house still had the old knob and tube wiring. It would need to be upgraded. The outlets in the house would need to be changed out and upgraded to grounded outlets. This would take care of the flickering lights and blown frequently blown fuses that the tenants were experiencing. The wiring in the house was just not up to what it needed to be for all the technology and appliances used today.
Next came the plumber’s visit. The plumber crawled under the house to look at the pipes. They were older and due to the house shifting had started to leak. He told Issac if this was not fixed and upgraded soon it could lead to foundational issues that would be a lot more expensive in the future. Issac was looking at having to upgrade the wiring, and plumbing soon to prevent more damage.
Issac’s Solution
He started looking at rewiring and plumbing costs online. First, the electrical. The entire house would need to be rewired. Depending on how the wiring was run it could cost up to $5,000 for the entire house to be rewired and grounded.
Next came the plumbing. Issac found that redoing the whole house can be anywhere from $2,500-$15,000. All the fixtures would need to be replaced too.
Issac was starting to feel overwhelmed at the increasing cost of the repairs that needed to be done soon. He started wondering what he could do. Online Issac read about selling a house in Virginia while it was being rented. In Virginia, you can sell a house while it is being rented. The new owner would step into the old owner’s shoes and the lease would still stand.
Issac talked to his tenants about selling the property. There was no way he would be able to make all the repairs and he was overwhelmed at the prospect. He assured them that their lease would still stand and they could stay. While they appreciated the information, the tenants decided not to stay but to give their notice and move.
Issac started researching selling his rental. While researching, Issac came across Akin Developers. He saw that Akin offers a no-cost, no-obligation offer for homes in almost any condition. Issac decided to reach out to us and see if Akin could help him. After his initial phone conversation, we set up a meeting to take a look at his home. We met with Issac and after inspecting his home, we offered a fair price for the home in its current condition, which he accepted. Issac was able to close on his home in 30 days, giving the tenants time to move. He was able to take the money from the sale of his rental to make repairs and upgrades on his home and keep some in small savings for future repairs and maintenance.
Conclusion
Sometimes when you have an older home, you don’t think to check things like wiring and pipes until an actual problem presents itself. It’s a good idea to frequently have your electrical and plumbing examined especially if your house is older. Older houses shifting over time can cause problems with the plumbing that you wouldn’t normally consider.
Should you find yourself in Issac’s situation and need to sell your home quickly for cash-whether you are overwhelmed with water damage, electrical issues, or it’s in perfect condition-contact us here at Akin Developers and see what we can do for you too.