House or a Pig in a Poke?
House or a Pig in a Poke? I Inspected a Home Before Purchase, and Here's What I Found
Many people like the idea of living in their own house—more space, a yard, and no neighbors behind the walls. However, those who have lived in houses know the other side of it—you can face a variety of problems. That’s why choosing a house requires careful consideration.
Yesterday, I arrived at a property. The house was relatively new, built in 2012, and my client was confident in its quality but still wanted to play it safe. After all, the purchase price was quite significant—over 500 000 €.
When I arrived to inspect the house, the seller's realtor assured me that the inspection would be quick and that the house was in perfect condition. Visually, the house did seem to be in excellent shape—no moldy smells, clean white walls, and a tidy look with fresh renovations.
However, just a few minutes into my inspection, I found serious issues with wall dampness. Upon closer examination, I discovered a major leak in the bathroom that had affected the master bedroom. There was also improperly installed roofing, a reverse slope on the terrace that was flooding the foundation, and many other problems.
As it turned out, the realtor knew about the leak and had suggested painting the walls to cover it up. But he had no idea about the more serious problems.
In the end, the house was sold at a significant discount, which almost completely covered the future repair costs.
This story allowed my clients to buy the house with clear expectations of their financial and time commitments, rather than purchasing a pig in a poke. Often, people plan to move into a house with their family right away because the house seems ready to live in, with renovations already done. But then it turns out that the house is uninhabitable and requires urgent repairs. This can be very unpleasant, often expensive, and disrupts life plans.