Buying a Home? Be On the Lookout for These Red Flags

When you tour a home, it’s your opportunity to get a feel for the home and whether it’s one you’d consider buying.

But it’s important not to get caught up in the cosmetic details. In order to properly evaluate the home (and make the best buying decision for you and your family), you need to keep your eyes open for potential issues with the property.

But what, exactly, should you be looking for? A recent article from realtor.com outlined the red flags buyers should be on the lookout for when touring a home, including:

• Too much scent. If you walk into a home and you’re immediately overwhelmed with the scent of air freshener, scented candles or fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies, the owners and/or agent could be using the scent to mask something that smells less pleasant. The point is, when you tour a home, you want it to smell nice. But if it smells too nice, it could be an attempt at a cover up—and a red flag that there’s something wrong (and odorous) with the home.
• Signs the home hasn’t been well-maintained. If the property’s lawn is overgrown, the faucet is leaking, and every other lightbulb seems to be burned out, it could be a red flag that the owners haven’t kept up with routine property maintenance—which could cause major issues (and expensive repairs!) down the road.
• Window issues. When you’re touring a home, make sure to pull back the curtains and open the windows. If the window sticks or doesn’t open easily, it’s a red flag that there could be issues with the foundation or how the windows were installed—and that they’ll need to be replaced, which can be an expensive process.

The Takeaway:

Bottom line? A house tour is your opportunity to identify any potential red flags with a property. So it’s important to know what to look for—and to keep your eyes open during the tour.