7 Red Flags When House-Hunting
During your house-hunting process, it is easy to get distracted and enticed by shiny new additions to a home, granite counter-tops, or chic window treatments. However, you need to make sure and take a deeper look into the home before taking the next step to submit an offer.
These 7 Red Flags will give you a good starting point and will help train your eye to look for any underlying issues with the home.
Too Many For Sale Signs
When you pull into a neighborhood, make sure and take a look at your surroundings. Are there several homes for sale on any given street? Ask yourself why there are so many homes for sale. If no one else wants to live there, you probably don't want to either. Do you homework and be sure to ask your Buyer Agent about the neighborhoods. They can provide you with crime rates, average property days on market, as well as neighborhood stats.
Neighborhood Maintenance
When you are buying a home, you want to make sure you are purchasing a place where you feel at home and are in an environment that meshes well with your style. If you like to keep your home manicured and presentable, make sure that the surrounding homes are the same. Take a peek at the overgrown lawns, trash cans, and overall exterior home conditions.
That First Smell
Everyone loves a home that smells good when you first walk in. We light candles, have wall plug-ins, and be sure to keep our furniture smelling fresh. However, does the home smell "too good"? The overpowering smell of potpourri or air fresheners could mean that the homeowners are attempting to hide something like pet odors or cigarette smoke.
Full Closets
Keep an eye out for closets that are filled to the brim. This could be a major warning sign of a lack of storage space. Also, look at the cabinets in the kitchen. The kitchen is one of the main rooms of your home that require storage space. Make sure that all of the homeowner's belongings are evenly distributed throughout the home to show that you will have more than enough space if you decide to purchase the home.
Rugs, Rugs, Rugs
When you notice an over-abundance of area rugs, there may be a reason for it. Area rugs for decor purposes are all well and good. However, if you can't even tell what the base carpet color is, then they may be trying to hide stains or damages to the carpet. You have every right to lift those up to see what the carpet condition is underneath.
Days On The Market
Make sure and speak with your Buyer Agent about the statistics of the house. See how many days the home has been on the market. This can provide assistance in helping you decide whether or not to purchase the home. There may be a reason why the property has not sold.
Also, ask if there was a previous attempt to sell the home. If the home has been on and off of the market and will not sell, there has to be an underlying issue. This can also help direct you on what price to offer for the home.
Moisture
One of the biggest red flags when you walk into a home can be moisture. Moisture can be a key indicator too many expensive issues. Moisture in the air can indicate that there may be a problem with leaks in the basement (if they have one). It can also be a breeding ground for mold! Mold is an expensive problem to have as well as having the possibility of being a detriment to your health.
Is it time for you to get Pre-approved for a mortgage?
If you are considering purchasing a home in the near future and are ready to start pre-preparing fo the pre-approval process fill out a pre-approval request form here.
When you are looking to purchase a home it is important to know the steps involved in the buying transaction. Take a look at this article on the 10 Important Steps to Buying A Home
Comments(18)