# Buying our first home!



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I love old farm houses and I think that one is gorgeous. I hope everything works out in your favor.

Hubby already had a house that I didn't want to live in so we had to make offers contingent on his place selling. Had to let go of the first one because they got another offer before his sold. Looked at a bunch but we were pretty limited because we had to stay in the county he worked in which was mostly city or housing additions and we had to have enough land for the horses. We ended up getting the second one we made an offer on. It was structurally sound but in bad need of the interior being updated, plus we had to build fence and a barn. Bought it in 1993 and sold it in '99 for about 70k more, don't remember the exact number because I've slept since then. We did all the interior work ourselves but hired out the fence and barn because it had to be done before we could move the horses. I'm guessing we put 20 - 25K into improvements so it turned a pretty decent profit. 

My best advice is to be patient about the whole process even though it can all be a PITA. Make sure you don't have to put so much money into it that you'll be upside down on your mortgage.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I'm not a home owner, but just wanted to say the home you've picked out is beautiful! Oh man, I would be so excited, too!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

on the one hand, you don't want to buy as much as the bank says you are qualified to guy, becuase you will be stretched too thin and have not a moment of peace. 

on the other hand, all the repairs that will need doing do not need to be done immediatley , do they? if not, then you can relax and just allow them to unfold over the years.

think about the location, location , location. 
that means location in the micro sense, as in good sun exposure and not too close to a noisy road or railroad, + location in the sense of are the schools good in that area, good enough to attract future buyers? and location in the sense of, is that are expected to have employment prostpects for the next 10 years,, like in the nearest center of employment? basically, will others see the attraction like you do?

that's the meaning of the ever so true old adage "location, location, location".


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

I'd stay with the boiler for heat just get a more efficient boiler.

Electric heat is just SO cold.

One house we lived in had 2 boilers... one oil of them electric. I could tell by just walking into the home which was heating the water. The oil was comforting and the electric just plain cold even though the thermostat was set the same.

Our first home was FILTHY. We cleaned on it for 2 weeks before I decided I better clean the bathroom as we where moving in within a week. The kitchen was so filthy I had no idea where the sink was. My mom spent a day cleaning the kitchen stove and that was only the outside.

We lived in the house for 4 years. It still needed a lot of fixing when we moved out but it was CLEAN. Made a nice profit to get us into our next home.

With our current home we where going to go with I think the FHA but they didn't even like chipped paint on the CHICKEN HOUSE. The final straw was there where 5 families on the well and they say the max is 4. We where able to pull on a traditional loan and have been here 5 years.

We live on a half acre, have 3 ponies, 9 chickens. Just got rid of 2 goats. Last year we had a pig but it ended up in the freezer. Dh still complains that there is too much yard to mow.

I feed hay year around obviously and from time time time our ponies go live on a huge rugged ranch or go mow a pasture for somebody. They are ridden normally very frequently.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice and stories! I love hearing about your experiences. 

This house is really in a great location. My real estate agent was excited to find out that the land is actually split into three separate deeds. It would be really easy to sell off two of the deeds (that are currently just vacant lots). Developers would buy that in a heartbeat as there's not much vacant land left in the immediate area, and new homes sell like hot cakes. Of course our yard wouldn't be as big then. We don't plan to sell off any of the land, but perhaps if we ever end up in a bind, it would be a great way to get out of the bind without having to sell the house.

It's on a moderately busy road, as in, there is through traffic, but the speed limit is low. There are side walks and on-street parking, and you can easily cross the street without fearing for your life. There are no highways or rail roads within ear shot. It is on the outskirts of a small city, where employment opportunities are good. The school district is the second best in the county. It rates very highly on school district rating sites. It's in the same county that I grew up in, but not the same school district. I remember this district always had more resources, nicer facilities and always kicked our a**** in sports! The neighborhood is very low crime. You could leave your door unlocked at night and not worry. It's also within walking distance of multiple parks and the high school. I don't worry about resale for the location aspect, other than the fact that its' a big, old house in a neighborhood of a bunch of smaller, newer ones. It's just tough to find comparable properties when pricing.

I also think it's taking a long time to sell because it is outdated. The bathroom fixtures and plumbing are relatively new, but the kitchen is not. Everybody wants stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. This kitchen is functional but also very 90's with its 20-year-old appliances and Formica counter tops. Oil heat scares people away too. Oil might be warm and toasty but it's expensive and old homes with oil heat don't sell fast around here.

We would have to have the seller fix the outlets and the peeling paint immediately, but everything else can wait. We were hoping to convert the place to gas heat before winter, but it might be too tight of a financial squeeze. We'll just have to see where we are if we end up with it. The roof has about 2-5 years left, so we'll wait about 2 years before addressing that. After that, my husband wants to put in a wood stove or some other alternative heat source that doesn't require electricity so if the power goes out for an extended period of time over the winter, we can keep our pipes from freezing. He also just likes the smell of a wood stove. Then we'll discuss replacing the upstairs windows with something a bit more energy efficient. I'd like to update the kitchen a bit, just appliances and counters, and swap out the electric stove for a gas stove. I'd also like to refinish the hardwood floors, but all of that is just cosmetic stuff that can wait until we have the money, whenever that may be. Just converting the place to gas will up its value by a lot. It also smells like dog. The man who lives there now has a very smelly dog. I may have to give it a deep clean to eliminate the smell. Hopefully the smell will just leave with his area rugs and linens.

Here are some more pictures:


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Good luck on your new home, and I hope everything goes well! I'm just beginning the research process of buying my first home because I am well and truly tired of renting, but I know it'll be at least a year before I can start truly shopping. Until then, it's research and planning!

I think the "doggy" smell will probably go away with the dog itself and the linens, but any carpeted/fabric stuff that is staying will probably need to be shampooed. Luckily carpet shampooers are fairly cheap and easy to rent.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

That looks excellent! I'm really excited for you. 

I haven't owned a home before but I am hoping to buy in about two years, so I've already started keeping an eye on adverts to be familiar with the market once I'm serious


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The houses of that era were often built much better than todays houses. I had to gut the older section of my first house as it needed new insulation and wiring. The wall studs were 2"x 4", not the modern smaller size. The corners weren't built like today but a 1x4 was secured at the top corner then notched into the 2x4's on a 45* angle on the outside. These were flush with the studs making very strong walls.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

*O. M. G.*

*THEY ACCEPTED OUR OFFER!!!
*
I am super excited! Closing is tentatively on Spetember 24th, and we move on Sept 30th, assuming all goes as planned with the mortgage and inspections. I'm really hoping nothing terrible pops up and that we can get through closing. I am in LOVE with this house! 

Saddlebag, this is exactly why we were looking at older homes! As my husband says, "It could take a tornado to the face". That and they're generally cheaper. The taxes on this house are very low for the area, and I did the math. We're only paying 36% of the average price for square foot for homes sold in this zip code. That's a good deal! This house is SOLID brick. It would be SO expensive to build this house new!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

when's the house warming party?

but seriously, it's such a big step. so scary, signing that many times on so many pages of legalese, and realizing that you must come up with X,000 $ EVERY month! 
I remember the day we moved in; boxes all over, a one year old baby playing in them and us seeing all that we had to do. that evening, after my son was to sleep, we sat on our deck overlooking our new 1/4 acre yard and I realized I did not any longer have to put up with the noise of neighbors in an apartment building.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Ugh. The hard part has commenced. I spent hours on the phone this morning trying to schedule a home inspection and get quotes for insurance, and made no progress. The one home inspector that called me back is booked into next month, which won't work because I have 10 days from yesterday (when the final agreement was signed) to have the inspection. I talked to about 5 different insurance companies and NONE of them will insure the house. One said they won't insure it unless a roofer can guarantee the roof has more than 5 years of life left (which won't happen). The others rejected it due to being zoned ag, having hot water radiators, having electric base boards. One company had ridiculous dog restrictions, listing about 15 dogs breeds that I could never own even a mix of. There is one local company that I expect to call me back tomorrow. I think they may be the only company that will be willing to insure the place. How frustrating!


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

In regards to insurance.... find an independent agent and let them do the shopping around for you. They normally do business with many many different companies and can get you covered for the best price and coverage.

Do you have an real estate agent? If so they should know of an inspector and pulls some strings to get an inspection ASAP.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

We've had Erie Ins., based right there in your state, for our farm and vehicles for over 20 years and have been happy with them. You might try contacting them if you haven't already.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Okay, so I got an inspection lined up for Saturday. It took a lot of sting pulling, but it came together. I still don't have insurance lined up but I am expecting quotes from two companies tomorrow (one of which just happens to be Erie). I shall see what they say and go from there. Finally things are starting to fall into place! Now I'm just going to worry about what the inspector might find on Saturday! I hope nothing we didn't already know about comes up!


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Whew! One major step is complete! We had the home inspection and nothing major was found, and nearly all of it was stuff we already knew about. We even had some good news! Turns out the roof is old, but is in good shape and should not need to be replaced in the near future.

The biggest issues were some cracked window panes, peeling paint, and outdated electrical fixtures, which we knew about and are going to ask the seller to repair. We met the seller as well. He walked us around to explain the property lines, and spoke with us about the property and the house for a little while. He seems like a nice guy and seems like he'll be willing to help us out with any repairs we might need.

Beyond that the inspector found some superficial cracks in the stucco, which are not urgent and should be easy and inexpensive to repair. There's a ceiling fan that's wired in with a dimmer when it should be wired separately from the dimmer, which I don't care about. There is no water shut off valve for the upstairs bathroom sink, so if we wanted to replace the faucet, we'd have to turn the water off downstairs. This is certainly not a deal breaker. The home only has 100 amp service (which we knew about), but he assured us that there's still room on the panel and that we shouldn't exceed the service with the current appliances.

He noted the age of the oil furnace (He literally called it an antique. The thing more than 50 years old), but said it should still work for us for many years, as long as we keep it serviced. However, he did warn us that installing gas into the home would be difficult because of the way it's built. He basically said the house is built like a fortress and it will be difficult to run lines through the walls.

We found out a few interesting things about the home. It turns out the wood work is chestnut, which is now quite rare to see, since the blight in the early 1900's killed off most of the mature chestnut trees locally. He said that the wood used to build the house is very high quality, and unlikely to rot. I already had suspicions but the inspector agreed that the walls are plaster and are likely horsehair and lathe. Also, the homeowner informed us that the old "run in shed" was indeed used as a run-in for many years, but it originally was a house (much older than the house we intend to live in). He said the enclosed portion of the shed was the kitchen, and the stove pipes are still in tact. It also has a cellar underneath. The seller admitted that he never went in the cellar in the 20 years he lived there because he was afraid of it. He says he has no idea what's in there. Something like that would be too much fun to explore!

At the end of the inspection, the inspector said he would summarize the inspection report with "two thumbs up". He said we found a beautiful, well-built, historic home, in good condition.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Stick with the radiators. I was raised in houses, 3, with these and it is the nicest heat, steady, no temp fluctuations or that chill on feels just as the furnace is firing up. We had metal covers made to cover just the tops, painted to match. The one near the front door warmed many a pair of mitts in winter. If I were to build a new house and budget permitted I'd go with that system. One house we lived in was 60 yrs old and still using the original furnace.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks Saddlebag. I've been talking to a lot of people, and I think, regardless of what we do, we'll keep the hot water radiators. It's a toss up whether we'll put in a newer, more efficient oil furnace or switch to natural gas in a few years. Either way, we would use the radiators instead of putting in duct work. I actually like the look of the radiators. There are one or two I want to cover to make window seats out of. That cats will love some warm window seats!

Like this:









We also decided we're keeping the original windows on the second floor. We're just going to restore and weather seal them. There are already storm windows outside them. The first floor windows are new. For now, I'd like to keep them, but if we're still there when they start to go, I would love to get custom windows that look more like the original windows.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Congratulations! What a beautiful home!


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## jofo2003 (Aug 15, 2015)

you should get a TB


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A few yrs ago I visited a wonderful old home with these radiators and wonderful architecture. Inside, to me, was a disaster, it was more modern and didn't suit it at all. Oh, my father used to open up the little bleeder valve in the Fall to drain a little water off. They'd often sputter a little then as soon as he got a steady stream he'd close it off. This was only an ounce or two. Usually the water is rusty as the rads are made of iron.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

jofo--A TB?


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Congrats on your house! Only tip I have for you is to make sure you READ all the paperwork and if there is something you don't understand (or even have some questions about) be sure to have them clarify it so you DO understand all the terms in all paperwork. If anyone suggests that you don't need to or say you have to sign it ASAP stick to your guns. YOU will be responsible for reading the documents in the event anything goes wrong. 

99% nothing goes wrong . It is that 1% that if things do go wrong that could bite you if the paperwork is different than what you thought it was. Just make sure YOU understand it; don't take anyone's word for it.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

kiltsrhott said:


> It also has a cellar underneath. The seller admitted that he never went in the cellar in the 20 years he lived there because he was afraid of it. He says he has no idea what's in there. Something like that would be too much fun to explore!


Do you want ghosts? Because that's how you get ghosts... :wink:

Beautiful house! I bet you'll have a blast restoring it and making it home. I love houses with character.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

TessaMay said:


> Do you want ghosts? Because that's how you get ghosts... :wink:
> 
> Beautiful house! I bet you'll have a blast restoring it and making it home. I love houses with character.



Teehee. My husband and I saw a lot of houses, and every time we came across one that changed hands a lot over the past few years, we decided were haunted. I'm sure the owners were just getting divorced or running out of money, but it's better to imagine the house is haunted and that ghosts are scaring people away.

Despite its age, this home has only had a handful of owners. People tend to stay in this house for 20+ years at a time, so I hope we don't stir up any ghosts and change that pattern!


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Moving forward!

We chose a few things out of the home inspection to ask the seller to fix. We chose to have him fix/install GFI's where necessary, replace the broken window panes, install smoke and CO2 detectors as required by the township, and scrape/repaint areas with peeling paint. He agreed.

Now our agent is scheduling the FHA home appraisal. I'm crossing my fingers that all goes well with that!

I have attached a few more pictures.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

What an incredible home!!! Enjoy


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

What a gorgeous home! Can't wait to see what you do with it!

Is the little door by the stairs a dumbwaiter?


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I know I said this before, but I just can't get over how beautiful this home is! It has so much character <3
But! It looks like the type that may be haunted


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## beverleyy (Oct 26, 2011)

Lovely! I am such a sucker for heritage homes. My dream is to own one someday on a larger acreage, so naturally I have an entire pinterest board dedicated to historic homes.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Mulefeather said:


> What a gorgeous home! Can't wait to see what you do with it!
> 
> Is the little door by the stairs a dumbwaiter?


It's a small storage cubby. I plan to put something frightening in there, like a creepy doll, to scare people when they open it. >.>

Thanks for the compliments everyone!

I have been building a pinterest too. I am just exploding with ideas and I can't wait to get started! It's officially less than a month until closing now!

I will certainly post more pictures after we move in, and as we update things. I'll attach a few more here.

The photos in this and my two post are from the home inspection. The first sets of photos were from the listing.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Since it looks like the attic is finished that's 3 stories + a basement? WOW, that's a lot of cleaning to do! LOL That's the first thing I always think of when I see a big house. I love 'em though especially all that woodwork.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

It will be a lot of cleaning... though I don't know. Right now hair from two cats builds up pretty quickly in my small apartment. Maybe it will be diluted over a larger surface area and won't need swept as often? lol Though that thought is probably void as we're planning to add a dog to the mix (possibly a hairy one) shortly after we settle in.

On another note, we got the results for the radon test back and the radon levels in the basement are very high. This is not uncommon where we live, but it means the house needs a mitigation system. We are asking the seller to put one in, and are crossing our fingers that he will. We heard through the grape vine that the other things he agreed to fix are amounting to more than he hoped, so I doubt he will. 

Also, I still don't have insurance in place. After deciding which plan I wanted, the woman I was working with for that company went on vacation, so I must wait for her return before setting up the policy.

I never realized how much of a headache it is to buy a house, and everything is complicated by the fact that my husband works first shift and I work second so we can't ever get together to sign papers at the same time. *headdesk*


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I have heard it's quite a process--but one that will be totally worth it when its all said and done! Please keep us updated--especially when you're ready to move in!


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

I still have not heard if the seller is willing to fix the radon problem or not. I'm still waiting on that..

Also still waiting for the insurance agent to return from vacation...

But the appraisal is in! It thankfully appraises for more than we're borrowing, so that's another thing we don't have to worry about! Woohoo!

Now I'm trying to hire movers which is not working out so well. Many of them are booked for the day we intend to move, and/or haven't called me back yet...  Looks like we might be hosing out the horse trailer and moving ourselves again.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Been a while since I posted an update.... Only three days until closing!

I did manage to schedule movers. The seller is not fixing the radon problem, but it's not too expensive, so hopefully we can swing it soon after we move in. Everything is falling right into place. Insurance is set up. I have utility services set up for when we move in.

I am quite disappointed in the internet situation. I am very happy with the ISP we already have. I have DSL through a smaller, local phone company. The internet speeds are fast and dirt cheap, and their customer service is excellent, but they don't service the new house. I did so much digging only to find that the only two options at the new house are Comcast cable internet or Verizon DSL. I ended up going with Verizon but it's almost twice as expensive as the DSL I had before (though still cheaper than cable). I just hope I can still get the speeds I'm used to with my current DSL... I'm currently getting 150 mbps which makes me a little bit spoiled. I can't have my netflix streaming interrupted by a slow connection! D:

Another disappointing event that occurred doesn't have anything to do with the house really... but my car broke down on the way to work on Saturday. It's at the mechanic and they won't be able to have a look at it until tomorrow. I have a feeling I will be buying a house and paying an expensive car repair bill on the same day.... This is how life always seems to go. lol In the mean time, I am driving my mom's car. I can't complain, because I have a car to drive, but it's an extra large SUV that only gets about 12 mpg. That's gonna hurt the bank account too. 

Right now we are living in a fortress of boxes. The hubby and I have been working on packing whenever we're not at work. My cats think this is great fun!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

love your blog.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

It wouldn't be house buying if it wasn't a huge hassle, with all kinds of last minute things going wrong. But so worth it in the long run.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

*IT'S OFFICIAL!*
_THE HOUSE IS OURS!_

We signed the many dotted lines this morning, and start the move tomorrow!

I am thrilled!

The seller really did do a shoddy job fixing the windows, but it's nothing we can't deal with later.

I LOVE the house! =D Every time I see it, I fall more in love with it.

I will take some more pictures once we get our own furniture and stuff in there... though it won't be too impressive because we're moving out of a small apartment into an actual house so our things will undoubtedly look small and sad in the house.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

Congratulations!!!!!!


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Congratulations on being a homeowner, and may your move go smooth and painlessly as possible!

I hate moving - I swore the next time I moved I was just going to pile everything outside in the parking lot and set it on fire


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

You have a radon problem. Not good. Does that involve an air exchanger or much more?


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> You have a radon problem. Not good. Does that involve an air exchanger or much more?


Radon is an extremely common problem in this area. If you have a basement, there's radon in it. I'd have been shocked if we didn't have high levels of radon. Fortunately, it's not too big of an issue to fix. You just have to add a vent that draws gasses from the lowest level of your home out, and then seal any cracks where radon might be seeping in.

Sadly, we have encountered numerous other issues since moving in. I knew it was an old house with old house problems, but some of this stuff is just stupid!

First, the shower. All of the plumbing in this house is new within the last two years, from the pipes in the walls, to the hot water heater, to the faucets and sinks. So of course, the brand new fixture in the shower is broken and now we have no way of turning our shower on. You spin the handle around and it just makes this awful grinding noise and nothing happens. The home warranty will fix it, but it's gonna take them a while. Until then, we are driving to my parents' house, 30 minutes away, to take a shower every day.

The lights. I've lost count of the number of burned out light bulbs the previous home owner left us... not a huge deal to fix, but kind of annoying when you're trying to move in and half your house is in the dark.

The electric. We knew the electric was a problem. There are numerous ungrounded outlets, outlets in the floors, and two of the three bedrooms only have one outlet in the room. I wasn't going to worry about that right away but the only telephone jack is in one of the bedrooms that only has one ungrounded outlet. So our DSL router is quite awkwardly placed on the floor in the middle of the room, with the wires stretching from the only phone jack in the house to the only outlet in that room. I was hoping to not have to use those old outlets, but now I'm being forced to if I want internet access. We decided to call an electrician for quotes on various projects around the house and start chipping away at that right away.

Speaking of internet access... it sucks. We went with Verizon DSL and it's much slower and more expensive than the other company that provided DSL at our apartment. This makes me sad 

The windows. We knew the windows were crummy. The ones of the first floor are new, but are low quality. It took both of us working together to get them closed and locked. The ones on the second floor are original to the house. When we toured the house some of them had broken glass, and missing ropes (they're the kind with a rope/weight/pulley system to hold them open), so we asked the seller to replace the panes of broken glass and replace any missing or broken ropes. He did, but the handyman he hired did a shoddy job. The glass is cheap, some of the new glass is already cracked, and the trim he chose to hold the new glass in does not match. He also left the bar code stickers on, in places where they can be seen, but not removed unless we take the windows apart. On one of the windows, the guy made the ropes too short so we can't close the window. Another window is inexplicably stuck open at the top. We are having our own handy man come clean up after the one who screwed up the project, and we are going to get ourselves involved to we know how to take the old windows apart for repairs ourselves in the future. We are hoping to start replacing some windows next year. We won't be able to afford to do all of them all at once, but we would like to start switching them out with high quality custom windows that match the existing trim. We hope to utilize some of the existing hardware. I know of an Amish guy that does a great job with these types of things.

The dryer. As it turns out the heating element in the dryer is dead. The home warranty should cover that too, but until then, we're hanging our laundry to dry. Saves on electricity right? lol

The locks. We had a locksmith out to fix the issue, but one of your exterior doors was locked only with an antique skeleton key. The locksmith said it would still be effective if we just left the key in the door and turned it slightly so someone on the outside couldn't push the key out and unlock it with another skeleton key, but we decided to install a dead bolt. The skeleton key is still there and functional.

On the upside, we still LOVE the house. It has some issues, but we plan to fix them properly and make it great! It felt like home since the first night. The cats are loving the space to run around. Oil heat is AWESOME! We have it on already since it's been quite damp and chilly outside. My computer desk is right next to a radiator and I quite enjoy warming my feet on it.  Despite our windows being crappy and some of them being stuck open, it doesn't feel drafty in here. It's really cozy.

Our next door neighbor is really nice too. He's an older man, retired, but still active, and he volunteered to mow our lawn in exchange for us supplying him with gas for his lawn mower, and putting his trash out with ours so he doesn't have to pay for a trash service. This works for us because we don't own a lawn mower yet.

I have attached some pictures.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Great! When I bought my house 20 years ago, I did not even know if any plumbing worked because the water was turned off, and it took forever to get the local water company to turn it on. Definitely learn to fix stuff yourself. Or oversee it so that you know how is should be properly repaired. My house is old too, but has charm that these newer places just don't have. It is a lot of work, but the more work you put into it, the better it gets for you. I have learned what I can repair myself, and when to hire someone (and keep a close eye on what is going on).


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When I bo't this property the wiring was scary. Hubby was working away so I learned in a hurry how to properly wire a house, new grounded wire with proper sockets and a new fuse panel that upgraded the service from 50 amp to 100. That was a job I wouldn't wish on anybody. I must have done it right as the inspector passed it. The entire main floor was paneled which popped off and was reused but once it was off to rewire, there was no vapor barrier and the insulation was sagging. That had to be taken care of. The living room had two large multipane windows. In the spring those were taken out, framing redone and the windows were put back only with one acting as a storm window. The paneling on that wall was replaced with gyp rock, fairly cheap. House was almost rebuilt. Lots of home grown labor, mainly mine and the cost was under $2000 for everything. Good luck, I can sympathize as I can relate.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

I need to have my husband read these posts. He's starting to get that dreaded "buyers remorse". He was about ready to throw in the towel yesterday when the porch light burned out. I think he feels overwhelmed. He wanted to fix all the windows, weather seal the doors and put a new furnace in before winter. He wants to fix the radon issue, the plumbing, get a new washer/dryer, update all the electric, and buy new furniture. He wants to put a new roof on, and fix cracks in the stucco, and relay some of the bricks on the back porch. He wants the house to be perfect right now and always, and that's just not how home ownership and life work in general. He seems to think that other homes have fewer problem than this one, and that we bought the worst house.... The grass is always greener on the other side!

I just don't want to rush all these projects. I want to make sure we tackle each one with attention to detail and a budget to do it properly. It's not like our house is uninhabitable the way it is. I really just want our shower fixed. That's the only thing that I feel is urgent. Every thing else can be spaced out over the next few years.

...It probably doesn't help that the Eagles lost yesterday (as usual). He's always in a bad mood when his precious Eagles lose. *eye roll*


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Why not go thro the house making a written list of all that needs fixing. Sit down with hubby and remake the list according to priority and how much to budget. There will be big jobs and little ones. For some reason the list helps put things in perspective. The furnace is running, can that wait another winter or two. I would think that as long as it's running the radon is being drawn out of the house via the chimney.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Ohhhh, I love the woodwork in your new home!! You don't find that all that often any more, it's beautiful.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> Why not go thro the house making a written list of all that needs fixing. Sit down with hubby and remake the list according to priority and how much to budget. There will be big jobs and little ones. For some reason the list helps put things in perspective. The furnace is running, can that wait another winter or two. I would think that as long as it's running the radon is being drawn out of the house via the chimney.


I do still need to sit down and make a formal list to show to my DH, but I think I have everything mostly sorted out in my head. In the immediate, I want to get the shower fixed and the radon mitigation system installed. I already scheduled the shower for Friday, and the radon mitigation installation for 2 weeks from now. I want to have our own handyman come and close the two windows that are stuck open, which I haven't scheduled yet. I also need to figure out when the warranty company can replace your dryer. I still did not get a quote from the electrician, but we'll just see where we are financially after everything else is done. Though the old outlets are a pain, our home inspector assured us that they're not a fire hazard as long as the plugs stay in the sockets. I may just break out the rest of the packing tape and tape some plugs into the outlets. After that, I'm done until spring.

I think my hubby scheduled an oil delivery for Monday, so the oil heat is here to stay for now. Honestly, I'd like to keep it. I like it better than gas because it's not as volatile. If we do anything, I'd just like to get a more efficient furnace. Though the one we have is age unknown (50+ years old, likely original to the house which would make it 90 years old), it's still trucking, so I feel like maybe we shouldn't fix what's not broken... The furnace has an annual service contract so it might be big and ugly, but it's in good working condition, and has been well maintained.

Once spring rolls around, we'll take tabs again, and see what we think is most urgent. I think we can squeeze another year or two out of our roof. It's old too (age unknown 20+ years), but also in good shape and it's not leaking, and we had a lot of rain and stormy weather last week to prove it.

I would like to fix the cracks in the stucco and the cracks between the bricks on the porch in the spring. For now, they're just minor, but I'd like to take care of that stuff before it turns into a bigger problem.

On the list of things to do whenever, is to replace the windows, and weather seal and fix the doors (our front door expands and gets stuck when it rains). Then of course we want to do a lot of decorating and antique furniture shopping! But this is lowest priority. We'll probably just spread that out over the next few years, just to break up some of the boring projects with fun stuff.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Just an idea on why your bulbs may be burning out fast. Our last house was built in the 50's and when we moved in the old owners had 40 watt bulbs in all the fixtures. The house was always dark because it was completely surrounded by trees so we put higher wattage bulbs in and they were constantly popping. Turns out we were trying to burn higher wattage bulbs than the fixtures were rated for. Had to replace them which was a lot cheaper than having to redo the wiring. Might be worth a try to see if this could be your problem too.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Soooo... I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the house couldn't possibly be haunted because the previous owner lived here so long... I'm not even sure I believe in that type of thing. It was really just a joke, but some super spooky stuff has been happening since we moved in. One morning I was home alone, just chilling in the living room, and I swore I heard a man talking upstairs. The only TV we have is in the living room and it was off. We don't own a radio. Basically, there was no obvious logical explanation for what I heard.

I have heard what sounds like a man and a woman whispering in the hall while I lay in bed at night. I've been blaming that on the fan we have running in the bedroom at night.

I have a small harp sitting in the foyer. On about 6 or 7 different occasions I have heard the harp play one or two notes on its own. The cats have been known to occasionally pluck it with their teeth, but they have not been downstairs since we adopted the dog. The most recent times I heard the harp was tonight. I heard it when I got home from work. I was standing in the kitchen. The dog was still in his crate. My husband was in bed, and the cats were with him. When I walked into the foyer, seconds after I heard the noise, there was no one there. I heard it two more times after that. One of which was just a few minutes ago. I'm sitting in the living room, just around the corner from the harp, and it played two notes. I peered around the corner, and there it sits, alone. I've had this harp for years, and not once has it ever made sound on its own.

I keep trying to think of ways to explain this away, but I haven't been able to come up with any good theories. It's starting to freak me out!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Not fun. 

I've lived in a couple houses that had spooks. I do not believe they are the spirits of people that had a connection to the place, but spirits that may mimic traits as opportunists.

I figure they have no business in a place my Higher Power helped provide for me. And they have to go. They do.

I hope yours do, too. It's your house.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Spooky


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Have your HVAC system checked over and get some carbon monoxide monitors installed pronto - "spooks" can actually be caused by mild carbon monoxide poisoning in some cases. They can make your brain produce auditory and even visual hallucinations. It's a big problem in a lot of old homes. 

Or you can burn sage in every room and tell them they need to move on 

I found a link (seems a little self-promoting for the company, but it gives some good ideas on what to look for before you jump to "ghosts"): The Haunted House Fix


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

LOL We live in 115 year old house and have had strange things happen. We just laugh.

Heard a kid walking down the stairs, except there wasn't any of my kids that did come down.

Toilet flushed all by itself.

Toilet paper off the roll and folded neatly on the floor. We tried to get the toilet paper to do that on its own and we cant.

Pantry door closed all by itself. There was no wind that day.

We just laugh.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

ChitChatChet said:


> LOL We live in 115 year old house and have had strange things happen. We just laugh.
> 
> Heard a kid walking down the stairs, except there wasn't any of my kids that did come down.
> 
> ...


I rented one that the washer would turn on by itself. Pull type knob. I used to yell down "throw on a load of whites while you're at it!"


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Called it ;D


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Mulefeather said:


> Have your HVAC system checked over and get some carbon monoxide monitors installed pronto - "spooks" can actually be caused by mild carbon monoxide poisoning in some cases. They can make your brain produce auditory and even visual hallucinations. It's a big problem in a lot of old homes.
> 
> Or you can burn sage in every room and tell them they need to move on
> 
> I found a link (seems a little self-promoting for the company, but it gives some good ideas on what to look for before you jump to "ghosts"): The Haunted House Fix


Our oil furnace is on an annual service contract and was last serviced in August, and the seller was required by the township to install carbon monoxide detectors before the sale. He did and there is no carbon monoxide in the home. Good advice though! It is important for people to be aware of the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning in homes. On a side note, it's been warm enough that our furnace has not been running.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Oh and I should add that my husband has now heard the harp a few times as well. He heard it yesterday while he was sitting in the living room in a place where he could see the harp as it happened. There was definitely no one there...


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Oh! And another cool tidbit of info to share, is that I traced the deeds back to when the house was built. We are only the 4th family to live in the home.

The family that built it bought the land in 1922 for $50 and lived here for more than 40 years. An old woman came to one of the open houses. She was born in this house and her parents built it. She and her family still live in the area.

The second family bought it in 1969. They did a lot of renovating, such as closing in part of the back porch to make a mud room/laundry room and taking out the wall between the kitchen and dining room to make it more open.

They sold it in 1995 to a family. This was who we bought the house from. He was here for 20 years, and raised three kids here. He sold it to us so he could move closer to his kids who now live somewhere down south.

The first two families had horses in the backyard, and used the other "house" as a run-in shed for the horses. I have no idea how old that house turned run-in shed is. I can see into the basement, but there are no stairs going down into it anymore. The middle room was definitely a kitchen and the hole for the stove pipe is still there. It has not been lived in by people since the 1920's at least. Aerial shots of the neighborhood in 1925 show the structure, looking almost exactly the same as it does now. It can't be too old though, because the basement is made of cement block instead of stone... I can't find any information on it on the county web site.


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