Here’s what they had to say.
Needless to say, I was wrong.
Those flippers and designers I followed?
That’s their full-time job.
If my husband and I had kids?!
It’d basically be impossible."
Homeownership feels like a game of ‘house vs. nature,’ and it’s exhausting sometimes."
Anonymous
3.
“I own a condo in Miami.
Everything was good for a few years, with special assessments here and there, but they were doable.
My maintenance fees are currently $529 for a one-bed, one-bath.
Heres the kicker: Because ofthat condo that fell, some housing laws have become extremely strict.
So, you know, that means another special assessment is on its way.”
“People don’t talk enough about homeownership anxiety.
I’m not saying this to deter people from owning a home (or to stigmatize anxiety disorders further!
Maybe they’re not valid fears, but they still keep me up at night.
Sometimes, I really think about going back to renting just to alleviate that mental burden.”
George, 32, New York
5.
Sometimes, renting doesn’t sound so bad, but there is no equity in renting."
“I didn’t realize how much patience being a homeowner would require.
That never happened, and I don’t think it ever will.
I blame all the home reno shows out there.
Perfection doesn’t exist!”
Troy
7.
When I rented, I could save tons of money, and I had a healthy savings account.
Now, any disaster will end up on my credit card."
Then, my husband got sick, and he’s been on disability for a while now.
He’ll be OK, but on my income alone, we couldn’t afford our already low mortgage.
We had to sell ASAP.
My advice is to be extraordinarily conservative."
Hey, presto, instant homeowner!
There hadn’t been any upkeep on it in 20 years.
It needed more attention, knowledge, and cash than I could ever hope to possess.
I sold it and bought a townhome last year, and I never looked back."
But we also had an amazing landlady who never raised our rent.
With a mortgage, we’re paying double what it cost us to rent.
We joke, ‘Same house, twice the price!’
It definitely makes me nervous."
hennypennystegosaurus
11.
“After we bought our house, it became clear that our area has ‘hard water.’
The kettle was the warning sign, with the limescale deposits clearly visible.
Then, our dishwasher broke down…and then our washing machine.
Plus, the water pressure was getting weaker and weaker from deposits in the main plumbing.
No one EVER mentioned that being a thing we’d have to do!”
James, 49, New York
13.
“There are so many things that the inspection will not catch!
The inspector gave a glowing review of the house we bought and said it was in great shape.
Day ten: We found water leaking from the ceiling in our laundry room.
Turns out it was from water leaking under the tub every time the shower was used.
Day 15: The capacitor goes out on the A/C.
Day 20: There’s a water leak under the kitchen sink.
Thankfully, we had some savings that covered the repairs, but those savings are now pretty much gone.
Fingers and toes crossed that no other major repairs come up before we can replenish our savings!”
Anonymous, Alabama
15.
“The cost of water.
Most mold problems, once covered by insurance, have been written out of policy coverage.
Misrepresentation by the old owner at least gives you recourse.”
John, 68, Texas
17.
A few years later, we were hit by one of the largest and most destructive tornadoes in history.
“I’ve been most annoyed with having neighbors that you might’t just up and move away from.
I bought a country house specifically to avoid HOA authoritarianism dictating how I could live in my own home.
These folks made eight years of ownership a downright awful experience.
Check your surroundings before you commit to such a significant event!”
They doubled the rent, too.
So, we bought a new-build home in a small town, and the first month was traumatic.
A pressure test was done on our drain line before the house was sold, and it was fine!
The very first time I ran the dishwasher, guess where the sewage ended up?
Yep, every drain in my home."
It turned into a complete money pit.
The bathroom floor and joists were rotten.
Over 35 years, we spent tens of thousands of dollars on leaks, repairs, and restoration.
momsequitur
22.
“We sold our house because we couldn’t afford the maintenance, so we downsized.
We also had a pest control issue due to insulation.
We had to get a loan for nearly $30k for all the repairs.
“The cost of A/C maintenance.
If you don’t have a trained HVAC technician performing the maintenance, you risk voiding the warranty.
Anonymous, 39,Hawaii
24.
“Foundations can be so aggravating and costly to fix.
We had a sinking slab foundation.
Over a few years, it had sunk seven inches.
I ended up having to be off work for three months.
During that time, I sold my place and went back to renting.
pippi501501
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
