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New Home Nightmares (And How to Avoid Them) From Your St. Louis Handyman

So you found the perfect casa. Your mortgage lender gave you its stamp of approval, you ponied up the cash and signed a flurry of documents at closing, and the place is finally yours. Congradulations homeowner!
Then the doozies start happening. One day, you arrive home from work only to find it’s colder inside your house than it is outside, and a technician from your HVAC company tells you the furnace is shot and it will cost you a few grand to replace it. Or maybe your roof starts leaking and must be fixed, like yesterday.
Uh, excuse me? Didn’t you just plunk down a bunch of dough for a home in first-class condition? The truth is, you can get your place inspected ahead of time, but that doesn’t mean things can’t go berserk. Read on for common home disasters that you could face-and how to troubleshoot them.
Nightmare#1 Shaky Foundations
Notice that the floor in your living room isn’t flat anymore or your chimney looks a bit crooked? These can be signs of structural issues with your foundation and may have to be repaired depending on how hardcore they are. Other signs of structural issues include cracks in exterior brickwork as well as doors and windows that stick or have large gaps around their frames.
A few hundred dollars to repair a small exterior foundation crack to tens of thousands of dollars for serious structural problems.
Nightmare #2 Flashes and Flickers
Plan on running your air conditioner and microwave at the same time? Make sure any house you’re looking at has at least 100-amp electric service (200 is even better), or you’ll find yourself flipping breaker switches in the basement 24/7. Before you buy, ask if the home has been upgraded electrically and check for potential problems, like exposed wiring, aluminum wiring, or super old fixtures. A few hundred bucks for minor repairs; $1500.00 to $2500.00 to upgrade/replace the electric panel; $4000.00 to $5000.00 to rewire the entire house.
Nightmare #3 Hot Water Worries
Sure you love a steamy soak, but it’s not the end of the world if your water heater goes bust. These units typically last about a decade if they have a tank. The good news? They’re reasonably inexpensive to replace. Usually about $600.00.
Nightmare #4 Heating and Cooling Crisis
Heating and air-conditioning systems can last for years with proper maintenance, but when they finally die, it can be expensive. A home inspector can tell you roughly how long these units will last, but that’s still no guarantee. Boilers or furnaces can break, as can the condenser on central air-conditioning systems. On top of that, a boiler breakdown could potentially cause major flooring and/or wallboard damage if it causes a flood in your home. Replacement can be around $5000.00 for an R22 unit, or up to $10000.00 for one of the new “Puron” systems. (note: in 2010 the federal government is requiring any new A/C units installed to be the new more energy efficient Puron systems, which typically cost twice as much.)
To be continued……