-
(#1) Always Ask To See The Attic
From Redditor /u/Paretio:
As a construction guy, [I advise you to] please, please, please check the attic. People buy houses and never check the actual attic. If you go up there and smell a burnt smell or see big, silvery tubes that look crumpled, those are issues.
If there is any strong smell, don't buy. No one spends $80 on Glade plugins unless they are trying to hide something.
-
(#2) Go To Viewings When It Rains
From Redditor /u/Yvgar:
Go to showings when it's rainy as f*ck, then check out the basement.
This will expose any water issues with the foundation... One house I was shown had a cable run into the basement from outside at the dirt-level and never sealed - so there was a stream of water pouring over the circuit breaker box onto the basement floor.
Passed on that house.
-
(#3) 'Built To Code' Is Not Enough
From Redditor /u/_PM_ME_YOUR_SMILE:
If your realtor says "built to code," that means they made the building as crappy as legally possible.
-
(#4) Look At The Layout
From Redditor /u/bGlxdWlkZ2Vja2EK:
Be wary of staging (the furniture/decorations that are in the house when you see it). Oftentimes smaller stuff will be used to make rooms look bigger than they are. Take a tape measure and have a list of the sizes of the stuff you own just so you can visualize yourself.
Pay attention to ports, outlets, thermostats, windows, etc. If putting your bed in the corner will cover the thermostat, you will be annoyed, or if there are no outlets in the corner where you want to put the TV, you will end up with cables all over the floor, etc.
Pay attention to what is behind or around the room you are looking at. If it's over the garage, you will hear the garage door opener and it will be loud. If it's near the kitchen, it will smell like food and be hot in the summer when cooking.
Dual zone AC? This is important if it's two-story since the upstairs will be hot without it (heat rises). Look for thermostats. Ideally there is one or more per level.
Rooms on the front of the house will hear street noise (cars going by, children playing, etc.). Which rooms face the front?
Extensions. If a part of the house looks like it doesn't "belong," i.e., the doorway... could have been a wall and the whole extra part could have not existed, then be careful. Oftentimes extensions can "corrupt" the construction of the original house. For example, they can screw up drainage, cause leaks in the seams with the roof, or generally just weaken construction. Make sure you look up who built the house, and who did the extension, and also verify that the work was permitted and done to code by contacting the city or county code division. (h/t /u/ed_merckx)
Converted garage? If there is a front room that seems like it is right where the garage should have been, it might be a converted room. These are often drafty rooms that have really hard floors and can be strangely noisy due to the household equipment like water heaters or furnaces hidden in them.
House backs up to a business? You are going to hear cars coming and going, as well as trucks loading and unloading.
West-facing rooms will get lots of light at sunrise, bad for bedrooms, good for breakfast nooks. Rooms that face west will get lots of light at sunset, bad if a TV will be anywhere near this situation when you come home from work. North-facing rooms will get no direct sunlight at all, so they will be cold in winter, but south-facing rooms will get full sun in summer, which will make them hot.
-
(#5) Is It In A Flood Zone?
From Redditor /u/Maxwyfe:
Is this property in a flood zone?
Just because it's not on the water doesn't mean the property is flood-free. Check with the county and ask the neighbors.
-
(#6) Be Wary Of Strongly Scented Air Fresheners
From Redditor /u/rugtoad:
If you walk into a house and are hit by the smell of Febreeze or air fresheners... Well, expect that it probably smells like dogs or smoke when that stuff wears off.
Bear in mind that a lot of agents like to burn pretty-smelling candles or bake some cookies right before an open house, so it's not a hard-and-fast rule. You mostly want to watch out for it if you're seeing it by appointment...
-
(#7) Check The Basement And Ground-Level Corners (Among Other Things)
From Redditor /u/KithAndAkin:
If the upstairs and downstairs have different corners, like rounded bullnose upstairs and square downstairs, the basement probably wasn’t finished by the builder. Make sure and check whether the basement finish was permitted. If not, you can’t be sure everything was done according to building codes. Likewise if you find windows in the basement that have metal frames with levers to detach them, those are construction windows. Most professionally finished basements will replace those with nicer windows, perhaps with vinyl frames. Sometimes this means the homeowner finished the basement and was trying to cut costs and corners.
Open every door and window in the house to see if any stick at the top or sides, which may indicate settling problems.
Look for changes in drywall texture. Drywall texture is tricky to match well. It may be an indication there was water damage, or excessively rough inhabitants, or an addition was built on.
Keep your eyes peeled for funky painted doors. Many flippers and landlords will have a handyman paint crappy doors with a roller. Once you notice the texture of the nap, it looks like sh*te and you'll see it every time. It makes the house pop at first, but they are kidding themselves if they think that's a good way to deal with crap doors.
Framing nails that are popping through the drywall, often in a ceiling may indicate movement. It could be high winds that make the house sway, and the nails are working their way back out of the wood. Or settling. Or water damage. Or humidity that changes dramatically. Some nails just wiggle loose. But if there are lots of them, beware.
If the entire bathroom, including the ceiling has been tiled, they may be trying to hide mildew problems. Make sure and have the inspector check whether the bath fan actually ports outside.
-
(#8) Check The Appliances
From Redditor /u/abbeymb:
Be sure to test all appliances that are staying with the house. Icemaker, dishwasher, microwave, garbage disposal, stove, washer/dryer, etc. Nothing worse than spending so much money to get into a house only to realize half the appliances don't work properly.
Also, be sure to visit the house multiple times from the time you are under contract until closing day. Check out the house and yard when it's raining, scope out the neighborhood in the evening when all the neighbors are home, try to drop by on Saturday or Sunday mornings to see which neighbor is mowing their grass at 8 am.
-
(#9) Look At The Roof
From Redditor /u/danny2787:
My grandfather sold real estate for decades. The first two things he looked for was the roof and the furnace. If either were too old or looked like a possible replacement was needed soon, then it's something to consider (most first-time home buyers can't afford to replace in first couple years, and many older homeowners would rather not either).
-
(#10) Scan The Outside Perimeter
From Redditor /u/Jtizzzle:
Realtor here. Grading. Hands down. Or, the angle at which the ground slopes at the foundation of the house. If the ground slopes towards the house, then that means any rain is just going to be funneled right up to your foundation, and [it] can cause some big problems. Extra caution if it is sloped concrete, like a driveway, 'cause that means either mudjacking or jackhammering, both labor and cost-intensive.
Seriously, when you're looking at a house, do a walk around the perimeter first. Could save you tens of thousands and future foundation problems.
-
(#11) The Red Flags Are Red So You'll See Them
From Redditor /u/BrainTroubles:
I work for a regulatory agency in California: first and foremost, find out if the state you live in has a "buyer of the property buys into the problems" type of laws. Potential buyers of any property whatsoever - do your godd*mn due diligence. Does your purchase agreement have an indemnification clause? That's a huge red flag. Is there an environmental hazard in existence at the property address (check your regulatory agencies public websites and search your address - it's not hard at all)? That's a huge red flag.
It blows my mind how frequently we contact property owners who bought a property and had no idea it used to be a dry cleaner, and they have a gigantic PCE plume that's impacted a quarter-mile of groundwater, and the sketch person who sold it to them has vanished into the wind. Do your due diligence. If the seller won't agree to or won't perform an environmental site assessment, or agree to be liable if a hazard is found? HUGE. RED. FLAG.
-
(#12) Always Read The Contracts Before Signing
From Redditor /u/NWBoomer:
Wife was a realtor - we have bought and sold many of our own properties including investment properties. Don't just sign a bunch of papers at closing thinking it is all boilerplate. Documents get written up with errors, some glaring, some not so. We had the wrong terms and interest on a loan once. Another time, they had the name wrong on the recording title.
Also, I cannot believe how many people buy a property covered by and HOA, and then are totally surprised that they have to pay assessments or that they cannot dig up their front lawn and put in an herb garden. All that stuff you are signing, you are agreeing to in a contract. That you "didn't know" doesn't cut it.
Also, people often keep paying mortgage insurance long after they have over 20% equity in the house. You want to keep paying it, [and] they'll keep collecting it until you tell them it is no longer needed.
-
(#13) Are Only Certain Things Updated?
From Redditor /u/onepurch:
Fresh paint, new carpet, but nothing else updated. It's the realtor remodel special. Just there to make you feel good on your 15 min. walk-through. Look at the tiles, trim, foundation to see what you really need to know. And always drive the neighborhood at night if you do not know it.
-
(#14) Where Won't The Pizza Guy Go?
From Redditor /u/spaghetti_barbarian:
Pizza delivery no-go zones [are an indicator].
-
-
(#16) Never Buy If Someone Already Did The DIY
From a Redditor:
Speaking from personal experience - look out for a seller who likes to do DIY home improvements. Sure, those cabinets, etc. look okay, but you are in for a lifetime of sh*tty problems!
For example, the DIY kitchen cupboards all have awkward and poorly sealed gaps which became the scene of a mouse and cockroach infestation. Had to rip it all apart to figure that out. Never ever buying a home from a DIY dipsh*t again! Almost 10 years later and we still regularly find a new catastrophe caused by his DIY projects!
-
(#17) Find Out Who The Realtor Works For
From a former Redditor:
Ask the agent that for the house they show you, are they also representing the seller? There is an obvious conflict of interest here, but that doesn't seem to stop them. Also if the house is a "pocket listing," ask them why the house is not on the MLS (listed) and shouldn't it be? Many agents try again try to pocket both sides of the deal and bypass market mechanisms. And never buy a house without an inspection unless you are going to be tearing it down.
Finally, remember the agent is working for themselves and not you, despite what they tell you, so always do your own homework on a property, including looking at the home's sales history, talking to the neighbors about the house and area, and going down to city hall and pulling records on the house.
-
(#18) Don't Ignore Straight-Up Signs Of Exterior Or Interior Damage
From Redditor /u/gmspen01:
Exterior:
Look for efflorescence (white ring from water) on any concrete, stone, or brick. Also look for any cracks that are larger than 1/4 of an inch. Look for lifted shingles, popped nails, or any damage to the roof. You can make a good guess at the age of a shingled roof by looking at the space between the tabs or on architectural shingles - the amount of grit left on the shingles. Also on a brick or stone house, push on the exterior walls hard. A lot more houses than you think have a wall that will move. And look for small holes that have been filled spaced evenly around the house (evidence of termite treatment).
Interior:
Check all your windows - if there is any condensation buildup or evidence of previous condensation they have probably lost their seal. If there are air fresheners anywhere, be suspicious, look for them in the vents if the vents are in the ceiling. If they are present they have possibly had water issues in the ductwork. Also if the house is on a slab, look in the ducts in the slab to see if there is water or any evidence of water. Look for rust on the water heater and the breaker box.
Lift up on countertops to make sure they are secured (really frequently not). Pull on shower heads and faucets because often they are not secured properly. Check all your light switches and appliances. Most people don't think to refinish above the doorframe on the inside of closets, so it's a good place to check for settlement cracks.
-
(#19) Ask The Right Questions
From a former Redditor:
-"How has the market performed in this area over the past year? Past three?"
An agent can easily pull a year-over-year analysis for the market you are interested in to see how it has held up over the years.
-"What is the foreclosure rate for this market area?"
Also easy to pull. This is a pretty good market indicator as well. If the rate is high, this means the market is undergoing a significant change. Coupled with the market data above, this gives you a good picture of where your market is headed for better or worse.
-"Can I have a copy of the appraisal?"
Most people don't know that they can request a copy of their home appraisal if they are getting one for a transaction. Even though you are paying for it, YOU ARE NOT THE CLIENT FOR THE APPRAISAL (the bank is), so no one is just going to hand it to you unless you ask for it normally.
-"What are the estimated closing costs?"
There's sticker shock at the closing table quite often. Closing costs for your average home can run into the $10,000 range or more for a financed deal, which is out of pocket normally. You can get seller's assist for some of this if your lender will allow for it, it's usually a percentage like 3% or more.
-
(#20) Don't Solely Rely On The Property Assessment
From Redditor /u/wamazing:
Property assessments are not good indicators of value. In my area they set them three years at once, and so a quickly moving market can easily get out of whack. What the tax assessment is good for is determining the tax rates in one area as compared to another. Also look at the square footage in tax records as compared to what listings say because this is a red flag that there is (possibly) an unpermitted addition (very difficult to get a loan these days, on places with unpermitted improvements).
New Random Displays Display All By Ranking
About This Tool
Both buying and renting a house requires many major decisions to be made, which can be both exciting and frightening. Some red flags that are easily overlooked may make you regret your wrong decision in the future. To buy or rent a house, it is not only necessary to understand the costs and procedures in the process, but also to inspect the house on site is also an important link.
During the field visit, some key elements related to the house must be carefully investigated to avoid various problems after moving in. The random tool lists 20 important red flags you should watch out for that are shared by real estate agents and homeowners.
Our data comes from Ranker, If you want to participate in the ranking of items displayed on this page, please click here.