https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 15 May 2026 17:38:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house/page/2#post-2619294 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 11:41:38 +0000 Amorini 2619294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had two small surprises that we have a hard time believing that the seller knew nothing about.. One was a roof leak we found during the first good rain after moving in (rains a lot here!). The leak was in the master bedroom. Not sure how it could have been overlooked. Cost us $800...</p> <p>The second and even bigger surprise was that we have an underground propane tank just outside said bedroom that has gas in it and a functional valve box but no apparent connection to th house (everything runs on electric)! We had no idea there was anything there .... We have been doing massive yard work and one day noticed a turned over flower pot under a bench (garden items were left by owner). The pot was covering the valves. It took a few more weeks of investigating to figure out that it was propane (old valves, nothing written on it). It will cost $600 minimum to remove the tank (recommended because could be leaking -- pretty old) and we will either lose a nice tree in the process or need to pay to have it relocated. Grrrrrr. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619281 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 10:03:12 +0000 maddyz 2619281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PixieStix: this is different, but our rental is like that. It's part of a 900 unit two building development that's brand new. That's 900 identical kitchens with no where to put your flat wear. So silly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619271 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 09:34:19 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: my internet research shows sometimes you either have to paint over it or remove the walls entirely. So maybe the painters were right. So we are also worried that that's the case in our house, but I think it was more laziness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619267 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 09:26:56 +0000 yoursilverlining 2619267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: we had a similar previous owner for our condo - fancied himself a DIY expert; not so much in reality. Stupid crap like he bought and installed a really top of the line water heater but because he's not actually a professional, ran a pipe the wrong way which ended up completely frying the electrical panel of a 3 year old water heater, which of course then had to be replaced $$$. Stupid stuff to save a buck short term, all more costly in the long term. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619261 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 09:20:56 +0000 catlady 2619261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our "fun" surprise was that the morning after we bought our house, DH and I both took showers in the upstairs bathroom, then when we came downstairs, we realized there was a huge wet spot on the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom. Turns out there was a plumbing problem but the woman who lived in the house before us (alone) never used the upstairs shower. During our inspection, the water hadn't been on long enough for the plumbing issue to present itself (although to be fair, it seemed liked it had gotten worse since the inspection).</p> <p>We tried to get some money for the fix from the seller but she refused and there was really nothing we could do. At least we got the plumber who came by to give us a full plumbing inspection for free (and find some other problems at the same time). But yeah, it was fun to have a hole in the ceiling of our new "move-in-ready" house in day 2 of living there.</p> <p>ETA: That stinks about the paint over wallpaper thing. My dad got painters for his house recently and they did that (seriously, professional painters) in the basement. I told him that he should make them re-do it and he wouldn't. He said they tried to remove the wallpaper and it was impossible. But I feel bad for whoever moves into his house after him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619254 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:56:21 +0000 Silva 2619254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: we had the same surprise in our two upstairs bedrooms. It's an old house (late 1800s) and the layers of wallpaper went all the way down to nasty original plaster and horse hair insulation! We couldn't strip the wallpaper and end up having to put up new dry wall in much of the room. It was kind of fun to see the different wallpapers, and in some places people had written little notes!<br /> We re-did the walls in one room, but haven't touched the other yet because we might gut that whole end of the house to move the bathroom. Can't wait to see what surprises we find then... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619249 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:45:22 +0000 Ree723 2619249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had painted over wallpaper in one of the girl's rooms too - I'm actually glad it was wallpaper though as it would have been a complete pain to paint over (see attached picture!)</p> <p>Our not so fun surprise was all the half assed DIY projects that had been done by the previous owners. We think the guy fancied himself a bit of a DIY expert and took on a lot of little projects, but he just did such a shitty job with all of them! Nearly two years on and DH is still going around the house most weekends, fixing up the messes.</p> <p>@IRunForFun: Maybe the owners were British? Building regs here don't allow for any outlets in bathrooms other than the little shaver outlets. It drives me mad that I can't plug anything in in our bathrooms here!!!</p> <p>Here's a pic of the painted wallpaper from our inspection. I think it freaked our 9 month old out for the few weeks she had to sleep with that on her walls! </p> [attach=1312/16/odajjm.600x450.image.jpeg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619244 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:34:03 +0000 winter_wonder 2619244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: notthing so far, but it looks like complete crap! I think smoothing it out and repainting is a good idea. I honestly have no idea what else to do! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619243 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:29:32 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sweetooth: I almost want to keep a piece of the bikini wallpaper. Not on the walls, mind you! But just to remember how it used to look. And you can actually see it directly from the front door. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619242 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:28:09 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winter_wonder: because taking down wallpaper sucks and they are super short sighted? What did you do for yours? I think DH is just repairing and smoothing it out then painting over again in our toddlers room so it's ready when we move in. Then we are going to do a lot more research before dealing with the baby's room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619240 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:25:46 +0000 winter_wonder 2619240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: ugh we have painted over wallpaper too. Why do people do this?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619236 Sat, 10 Sep 2016 08:03:03 +0000 petitenoisette 2619236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought a fixer upper. Some surprises when we took off the wood paneling that was in several rooms were layers of wallpaper underneath and then in the master there were no walls at all underneath! </p> <p>It was also a surprise how much one of our neighbors likes to leaf blow year round. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619140 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 21:33:04 +0000 sweetooth 2619140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: hahahaha!!! Thank you so much for that laugh. Bikini wallpaper! I think I'd be up there immediately peeling that off! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619130 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 21:18:16 +0000 mediagirl 2619130@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can feel the bitterness oozing out of this post. Solidarity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619128 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 21:13:34 +0000 mediagirl 2619128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: haha we saw houses with painted over wallpaper. So fun!! Congratulations on the closing!!</p> <p>Surprises: rotted wood under freshly painted siding. The half bath cabinet under the sink STUFFED FULL of personal items from the previous owner. Shoddy handy homemaker "fixes" like improperly installed doors, closet shelves that are too narrow, missing moldings?!?! So weird! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619116 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:36:40 +0000 Ms. RV 2619116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had an actually fun surprise... in the walkthrough before closing, I opened the cabinet above the microwave above the range and found about eight airplane sized booze bottles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619115 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:35:13 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sweetooth: not a surprise but we have a lovely beach theme in the upstairs bathroom. Oh bikini wallpaper.... </p> [attach=2307/16/od9lqp.338x600.image.png] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619108 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:31:17 +0000 hellobeeboston 2619108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: we have painted over wallpaper in our master and I have no idea what to do about it!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619107 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:30:26 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2619107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In this house we realized the generous crown molding is actually a trick with trim and painting.</p> <p>In our old house we came to learn that all of the nice looking updates and renos were unpermited DIY jobs for the most part. Fixing the issues that came up were a little costly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619102 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:26:23 +0000 sweetooth 2619102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Congrats! </p> <p>Our big surprise was that when we closed the door to the tiny bathroom downstairs there was a whale painted on the back of the door. The previous owners went all out with the underwater theme in the bathroom. We never once used the bathrooms during our visits to the house before closing. It was SUCH a surprise to find that whale painted on the entire length of the door! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619098 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:21:22 +0000 autumnlove 2619098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Several layers of wallpaper and several layers of crappy flooring. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619097 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:21:14 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2619097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our toilets were plumbed backwards. They filled with hot water. Never thought to check the temp before we bought.<br /> There were also three gas leaks the day we walked in. We had to call the gas company and they turned off the supply. </p> <p>One good find was the original hardwoods covered by plywood and linoleum tile. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619092 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:16:59 +0000 Smurfette 2619092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: yeah the wires are there for the lights so not like you have to run all new lines.<br /> @Foodnerd81: yeah I know it expires but you would think since they haven't lived here for years(they rented it before they sold it) they would have it all changed.<br /> @avivoca: we also get mail for stager that lived in the house while it was for sale. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619079 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:06:54 +0000 avivoca 2619079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: @Foodnerd81: I know it expires, but t has been happening the entire time. Even for people who haven't lived here in years. It's been escalating lately for the guy who lived here in 2000. Also, in the last year, we've started getting lots of mail from her vet, which never happened before, so I feel like she is giving out this address when she doesn't want to give hers out. </p> <p>Another annoying thing: once they got an offer on their house, it's like they stopped cleaning. There was SO MUCH DIRT and grime on everything. I had to replace the drip pans and there was so much soap scum in the tub. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619072 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 20:01:01 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PixieStix: yeah that kind of stuff I expect. Like we realized a week ago that the ceilings are a lot lower than we thought. Our bad for not noticing before I guess but not a big deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619071 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:59:49 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: @avivoca: I think mail forwarding expires. So like the first six months it gets forwarded then that runs out, assuming you have updated all your addresses, and it reverts back. I'm not sure though. We used to get things like wedding invitations every once in a while in our old place (for two tenants ago). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619070 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:59:37 +0000 PixieStix 2619070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As first time home buyers, our surprises were little nuances that somehow we overlooked before buying. Like how the kitchen has no drawers large enough to hold a standard silverware holder, so our silverware is up in a cabinet next to the paper products. Lol. Very strange indeed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619066 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:58:57 +0000 IRunForFun 2619066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: So strange! But I am glad to hear it was relatively easy to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619064 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:57:49 +0000 Foodnerd81 2619064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: you didn't have a final walk through? That's so annoying! We were supposed to have a final walk through a few days ago that got canceled that morning because they hadn't moved the last couple things out, but when we got the keys it was done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/fun-surprises-when-you-buy-a-house#post-2619063 Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:57:26 +0000 Smurfette 2619063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: we still get mail too! Just got a tax letter from what I assume is their rental condo in FL. </p>