The real estate market never goes quiet. Regardless of its conditions, people will always need to sell, buy, or lease. But buying a home can be a very emotional process. And if you allow all these emotions - stress, excitement, impatience - to get the best of you, you might end up with a house that won't be a great fit for your needs.

To know whether a house is good for you, try looking at those that align with your budget, needs, and wants. Real estate is slow to forgive, and buying a house that's a bad deal can take forever to get out of - both physically and financially. According to experts from Stacked Homes, houses with bad layout designs, structural issues, or the ones with signs of structural damage can prove to be choices that will later bring you lots of headaches and frustration.

With that being said, let's take a closer look at the types of houses that you should try to avoid when entering the real estate market.

 

Houses With Structural Issues

If you buy a new house or try to sell your own, structural problems can be a big deal. To put it shortly, it can be anything that affects how structurally sound the house is. This includes poor design or build, or structural faults that developed and started showing in the years since the house was built. However, it's worth noting that this problem can apply to any house, regardless of whether it's new or old.

Here's what you should pay attention to:

• Cracks,
• Sticking windows and doors,
• Bulging or leaning walls,
• Sagging roofs and roof leaks,
• Uneven floors.

These can greatly affect your safety. The longer these issues have been there, the harder and more costly they will be to fix. Always be sure to check out the structural stability of any potential building that you might want to buy. If you notice that the house you're touring has any of these problems, you may be better off if you just pass on it.

 

Houses With "Negative Backups"

Houses near places like these won't get the same price per square foot as those located in equally nice neighborhoods that back up to forests, lakes, or other houses with well-kept yards. Many people make the mistake of assuming that these less-desirable surroundings won't bother them, but even if you're fine with busy and loud train tracks running behind your house, if you later decide to sell it, you might find it hard to find someone who thinks the same.

 

Houses With Bad Layout Designs

What looks like a great floor plan on paper or when viewing it on Zillow may not work with your lot or the surrounding terrain. A great view window may be on the wrong end of the house, or the bedrooms may be too close to the busy street. On top of that, if you're a buyer, you might not notice the bad layout right away. That's why it's crucial to know what to look for when touring:

• Inside stairway facing the entrance - being greeted by a stairway immediately upon entering the home can be off-putting to some people, and it's not a visually pleasing design-wise.
• Dining room in the center of the house - it's simply inconvenient to be forced to navigate around the dining room table and have to go through a whole room just to get to the other areas of the home. The living room as the "center" room makes for a much better layout choice.
• Adjoining bedrooms - takes away privacy, which is highly valued by many people. Most buyers expect a separate entrance to each bedroom.
• Master bedroom without master bathroom - modern buyers prefer a master bedroom that comes with its own adjoined bathroom. They don't want to walk out to the hallway to get ready in the morning or share the bathroom with other household members or guests.

 

The Biggest on the Block

Too many people make the mistake of buying or building the biggest house on the block. It's not the best idea to go for the super-sized property when it's surrounded by properties that aren't similar in size and, therefore, in value. For instance, if every house in the neighborhood is about 14 to 18 hundred square feet, the super mansion (or even the McMansion) can prove to be nearly impossible to sell.

On top of that, the biggest houses on the block and the super-sized mansions often have plenty of custom features, such as grand walk-in showers, a jacuzzi, a wine cellar, an outdoor kitchen, and so on. What worked great for one owner might be completely useless for another one. Instead of spending money on ripping out and remodeling someone else's ideas, it's better to look for another house that will be better for your needs.

 

Conclusion

To sum up, while you might not object to the types of houses mentioned above and think that you'll be able to fix them up, keep in mind that you may want to sell the home at some point. Then, further structural issues, a bad layout, or undesirable surroundings could make it more challenging to sell.

By staying cautious and avoiding letting your emotions take over, you should be able to navigate the estate market without falling prey to issues that might later cost you lots of money and sleepless nights. Try to give yourself time, and don't rush into anything that you're not one hundred percent sure of. Good luck!