Old houses usually come with many problems. If you are in the process of looking for a used home here is a list of the most common house problems.

1. Poor Drainage/Surface Grading
With out a doubt the most frequently found problem, reported on 36% of the survey reports. It is responsible for the most common of household maladies: water penetration of the basement or crawl space.

2. Electrical Wiring Done Wrong
20% of homes were revealed to have defect wiring, including; undersized electrical service to the house, inadequate overload protection, and amateur, often dangerous, wiring connections.

3. Damaged Roof
With only 9% of the reports showing this as the most common problem, roof leakage, caused by old or damaged shingles or improper flashing, was found to be a frequent problem.

4. Poor Heating Systems
Most problems in this category include broken or malfunctioning operation controls, blocked chimneys, and unsafe exhaust disposal. Heating and Cooling System Problems are usually uncovered by a professional home inspector.

5. Bad Overall Maintenance
Most novice home buyers will catch this situation, demonstrated by such signs as cracked, peeling, or dirty painted surfaces, crumbling masonry, makeshift wiring or plumbing, and broken fixtures or appliances.

7. Plumbing Damage
Plumbing defects rank high among the house problems encountered, and include the existence of old or incompatible piping materials, as well as faulty fixtures and waste lines with homemade or amateur workmanship.

8. Poor Exterior
Bad upkeep of a home’s exterior, including windows, doors, and wall surfaces, are responsible for the discomfort of water and air penetration, but rarely have structural significance. Inadequate caulking and/or weather-stripping are the most common culprits.

9. Bad Ventilation
This usually comes from overly ambitious efforts to save energy, many home owners have “over-sealed” their homes, resulting in excessive interior moisture. This can cause rotting and premature failure of both structural and non-structural elements. Poor ventilation in attics are very common.

10. Assorted Other Problems
Primarily made up of interior components, often cosmetic in nature, which although common, were not considered to be serious.

This home buying tips video will give you some basic starting points that are very important in beginning the process of buying a home. These home buying tips will let you know where to start and what steps to take beginning with the mortgage lender.