u/kaairo

I posted this on r/zillowgonewild and was told to post here. I drive by this house on my commute. It's out of place in this area so I was always interested in what the deal was. When I saw it was on sale, I ran to Zillow and....I'm just confused by a lot of choices made here. Immediate thought when I saw the pictures was "money can't buy taste".

They didn't share the lion statues in front of the castle walls (one of them has been knocked over for quite some time).

More here: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/19900-Collins-Rd-Milford-Center-OH-43045/221550400_zpid/

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/19900-Collins-Rd-Milford-Center-OH-43045/221550400_zpid/

I drive by this house on my commute. It's out of place in this area so I was always interested in what the deal was. When I saw it was on sale, I ran to Zillow and....I'm just confused by a lot of choices made here.

They didn't share the lion statues in front of the castle walls (one of them has been knocked over for quite some time).

I just moved into a house and discovered there is a bunch of buckthorn on the property. We have 4 large "trees", numerous small stumps that have been cut and are regrowing, and countless sprouts.

We are planning on removing the large trees and applying herbicide in the fall. However, I am concerned if this will even do anything because both of my neighbors have this tree on their property. On one side, there is a heavily planted area directly next to my property that the neighbors own. There is some good stuff there but it's littered with buckthorn. I really want to remove it but it's not on my property.

I guess I want to know if removing the larger trees is actually worth it if I keep having to battling it forever? I did want to mention it to my neighbor but we have no relationship right now and I just feel like asking the cut down all their trees that give privacy isn't going to make a great impression.

I also wanted to know if it's OK to cut down the leaf producing parts of the tree now, and wait till fall to cut the stump down and apply herbicide. I am not working this summer and will have a lot more time to trim the trees now, but I wasn't sure how effective that would be.

Any advice is appreciated.

Two of these were in a pile of leaves. Haven't seen anything like this just out and about. I know it's a beetle but I'm curious about the specific type. Thank you!

Just bought my first house and my basement has this shelf. I'm not sure exactly what is going on with it, but the edges are ugly and killing the vibe. What would I need to do to fix the cracks/imperfections? TIA

Just bought my first house. It needs a lot of work done on the outside. I have a few thoughts in mind but I was wondering what others think. I know I need landscaping, but suggestions on what types of plants that would look good here are appreciated. I'm in zone 6a if it matters. Thanks in advance!

Just bought a house and trying to identify my trees. TIA

The house is mostly for my dog. No more apartment life for her!

I am in love with the natural light ☀️

We are closing on a house soon. The house was renovated, including this new deck. This picture is from the inspection report; it states that the deck structure appeared to have shifted. The inspector recommended a deck contractor to review the deck structure.

We asked for the sellers to level the deck but they said no. They replaced some rotten wood that was underneath. I was just wondering if this is something we need to address soon, something to keep an eye on or just not worry about it all. Thank you!

My husband and I are currently contingent on a house.

About the house:

• Previous owner died in the house in September was described as a hoarder. The house is being sold by a realtor who fixed it up.
• 3bd 2b, 1,577sqft
• In an area known for water issues. The house had significant water issues. The realtor did many repairs to remedy this: carbon fiber straps and steel L beams installed in crawlspace, crawlspace encapsulation, dehumidifier installed, sump pump replaced and drain rerouted, caulk cracks in foundation, repaired leaking areas
• Brand new stainless steel appliances: fridge, microwave, dishwasher, stove
• Kitchen faucet replaced, sink has rust and counters are visibly stained
• New garbage disposal
• New LVP flooring and carpet in the entire house
• Half basement finished
• Gas fireplace inspected and cleaned
• Gutters cleaned, guards installed and downspout rerouted
• 2 bathrooms: both have new toilets, sinks, faucets, exhaust fans and showerheads. The master bath shower was replaced, but the other tub has visible stains.
• New lights and fans installed throughout the house
• New water heater
• Whole home air duct cleaning
• Whole home surge protector installed
• New Trex composite deck
• Outlets replaced
• Roof was replaced by owner in 2021. Listed in fair condition, some moss growth

We really liked the house. It is in a desirable area. We saw it the day after it was put on the market and there were already 10 other people scheduled to see it and an open house scheduled in two days. We made an immediate offer of 15,000 over the asking price, as well as covering the closing costs (~10k). Our offer was accepted the next day and the open house was canceled.

We just had the inspection yesterday. The following came back:

• The previous deck was rotted and there was evidence of carpenter ant damage. There is wood that is holding up the new deck that is damaged by the ants or moisture that was not replaced. The deck is also unleveled and visibly shifted.
• Small amount of white mold growth in the crawlspace
• Missing kickout flashing on gutters
• Loose chimney flashing and b-vent flashing
• Chimney crown rusted
• Asphalt driveway is uneven and poorly repaired
• Pedestrian sidewalk, house walkway and garage floor significantly unleveled. The inspector said use of the garage can be affected and that these are trip hazards.
• Poor grading on three sides of the house
• The HVAC is 27 years old. The furnace is functional. The AC was not able to be tested due to the temperature. It was raised up and unleveled/leaning down. Insulation on refrigerant lines and the fins were damaged. Inspector wrote to expect to replace this very soon.
• One window has failed seal
• Missing GFCI on exhaust fan above shower
• Missing guardrail for basement steps (not really concerned about this)

Since we offered so much, we asked for most of this to be fixed. We specifically asked for:

• Replacing rotting/damaged wood and leveling the deck. The deck was advertised as new and was just replaced.
• HVAC technician come out and check furnace. Completely replace the AC and install on a concrete pad or something comparable.
• Replace or waterproof the chimney crown
• Install diverter/kick-out flashing on gutters
• Properly resecured B-vent and chimney flashings
• Fix the uneven concrete and sidewalks by replacement or leveling (we specifically asked for leveling but the realtor wrote replacement as well)

The deck is non-negotiable for us. I would like the HVAC to be checked at least. If they don’t replace the AC, we are lowering our offer because that will need to be replaced immediately and the furnance within the next couple years most likely. We aren’t too worried about addressing the concrete and sidewalk issues ourselves but wanted to see if they will do it. Same with the gutters and chimney crown. We may lower our offer a bit if they don't do them, though.

We plan on dealing with the mold, grading, window and GFCI ourselves.

Here are some pictures.

If you made it this far, thank you. I'm going back on forth between "we made a generous offer" vs. "we are asking for too much". I’m looking for unbiased views. Thank you!