7 States Where You’re Less Likely To End Up With a ‘Lemon’ Home
Written by
Lydia Kibet
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make. However, not all homes are created equal. While hunting for your dream home is exciting, the fear of accidentally buying a “lemon” can make the process overwhelming. A lemon home is one that looks great on the outside, but has hidden costly defects that can drain your savings after you move in.
While no state is completely risk-free, a MovingPlace report showed some states have a lower risk of buying a lemon than others. These states tend to have newer housing stocks, favorable weather and new infrastructure that make hidden defects less likely.
Here are seven states where you’re less likely to end up with a lemon home.
1. Nevada
Nevada ranked as the safest state to buy a home, with a rating of just 4 on MovingPlace’s Lemon Home Index, a measure used in the study to highlight how common housing problems are in the specific location comparatively. Roughly 19% of Nevada houses have plumbing issues, while nearly 12% have window problems. The dry desert climate reduces the likelihood of most water intrusion and moisture-related foundation issues.
2. Florida
With a Lemon Home Index score of 8, Florida is the second state where you’re least likely to buy a home with hidden defects. This might be surprising, as many associate Florida with hurricanes. Approximately 32.5% of homes have plumbing issues, 13% require window repairs and less than 4% need electrical wiring repairs.
3. Utah
Utah ranked third with a score of 11, driven largely by plumbing, window and foundation problems. Most homes here have far fewer problems with the foundation and roof, with only 1.73% having been deemed to have water intrusion issues.
4. Hawaii
Scoring a 14 on the Lemon Home Index may surprise those who associate Hawaii with its tropical climate. Approximately 16% of the homes have electrical problems, while 56% have plumbing issues, and only 16% require window repairs. Many homes in Hawaii have very few issues with the foundation, roof and water intrusion.
5. Texas
Plumbing and window problems are the major concerns in Texas, which scored 16. Approximately 38% of the homes have plumbing issues, while around 16% need window repairs. Electrical, foundation, water intrusion and roof issues are less of a problem in Texas. Rapid population growth has fueled modern homebuilding across major metros like Austin, Dallas and Houston.
6. South Carolina
While coastal areas face hurricane risks, homes in South Carolina have fewer foundation and roof defects. That’s why it scored 18 on the Lemon Home Index. Nearly 27% of houses have plumbing issues, approximately 24% need window repairs, around 16.5% show some form of water intrusion and just over 12% have electrical problems.
7. Washington
Washington scored 19, with plumbing, windows and water intrusion being the leading concerns. Almost 44% of homes need plumbing repairs, while close to 23.5% of homes need window repairs. Roughly 15% have water intrusion issues. Foundation, electrical and roof defects are less frequent in Washington.
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