Its easy to overlook problems in a home when you become emotional and overwhelmed with feelings that its your dream house and you have to have it. This could lead to facing monumental problems after you sign on the dotted line.
Before you make up your mind to buy, its important that you detach yourself from emotion and look for potential problems that could ruin your happiness over buying your dream home.
Some of the most important things you should be aware of when viewing a home are the conditions and ages of such items as the hot water heater, furnace and roof. You should also pay attention to the foundation of the home and look for structural problems.
Foundation issues are very expensive to correct, so pay close attention in the basement to see if there are cracks or crevices that indicate structural, foundation problems. If theres no basement in the home so you can look for issues, check the door frames in the home.
Check to see if the doors close properly and are aligned as they should be. If not, you could have structural problems. If you suspect any problems involving the foundation, hire a structural engineer to perform an inspection on the home.
Pests and insects can also become problems after you move in. Wood-destroying insects can badly damage a home and cost you thousands of dollars to repair. Pests to look for include carpenter ants, termites and powder post beetles.
Note if fresh paint has recently been used to hide a small portion of a wall or ceiling. Although some people may paint an entire room to freshen it up before selling, small sections of fresh paint may be cause for concern.
A foul odor in the home or super sweet smells indicating that a cover up scent is being used could also be a red flag. Take notice if there are plug in air fresheners, candles and other items that indicate a bad odor could be present.
Electrical issues may be a problem especially if the home is older. Some older homes still have knob and tube wiring which can trigger a problem and some have old electrical panels that still use fuses. Check out light switches, outlets and lights that flicker when turned on.
Dont fall in love with the home until youve checked out the neighborhood. When there are many homes for sale or you notice that residences or businesses have been boarded up, you could risk putting lots of money into a bad investment.
There should be no rooms in the home that you cant enter, but if there are and you really like the home, ask to see those rooms later. Windows that appear foggy might indicate water between the double-paned windows. Also, test the windows to be sure they open and close properly.
Whether youre an experienced or novice home buyer, its important to look for red flags yourself but be sure and hire a home inspector to look for problems you may not have seen.
