Homeownership is often said to be one of the fundamental elements of the American dream. Certain unpleasant realities of homeownership, however, often get glossed over when this dream is discussed. This article regarding the most annoying things about owning a home is a great introduction to these realities. Though they’re not as attractive as the positive aspects of buying a home, it is crucial to be aware of these annoyances.
What Are These Annoyances?
The article linked above discusses seven annoying aspects of homeownership. Though there are certainly even more than that, acknowledging these is crucial. They generally fall into two camps:
1. Pre-Close Problems
These include difficulties accessing a property and the financial clampdown induced by the often immense cost of buying a home. They certainly tend to add to the stress of a home purchase, and can actually cause buyers to get cold feet or back out of the deal in extreme cases. Hence, they are deceptively dangerous to the transaction.
2. Post-Close Problems
These include the unforeseen, unfortunate or even downright nasty things that sellers can leave behind once they’ve left a home. Also of note are elements of the home that are less attractive, stable or user-friendly as they might have seemed at first glance. Taken together, these can definitely instill a sense of buyer’s remorse in affected buyers.
So what can be done about all these things? Well, awareness is always a good first step. Just by acknowledging these issues, one can begin to deal with them in small ways. If you’re in the process of selling a home, being cognizant of these things and helping the buyer deal with them or minimize their impact is a great way to keep a transaction smooth and prevent cold feet. The buyer is already going through a lot, and they will no doubt appreciate your help in minimizing their additional stress.
And if you are the buyer? Then this really highlights the importance of hiring the right agent. It is vital to have an agent that helps raise your awareness of these issues ahead of time, and address them as necessary. Just a bit of planning and preparation can drastically reduce the impact of the annoyances mentioned above. A good real estate agent can help make your home buying experience the joyous one it should ideally be.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the less enjoyable aspects of homeownership. Naturally, you shouldn’t let them dull your enthusiasm for buying a home; in fact, just the fact that you now know about them and can deal with them accordingly should make you feel even better! As always, feel free to use me as a resource for any questions or concerns you may have about real estate. Though no real estate transaction is without headaches, I’m always happy to be my clients’ Excedrin!