It’s the American dream to buy yourself a home where you can live peacefully without worrying about the hassles of the world. Not every person is able to buy a home; however, because it requires a considerable amount or resources and good credit. Buying a home is a tricky proposition, even in the best of circumstances, and requires some advice on what to look for when you decide to buy a home.
There are several steps to buying a home, and you may find it much easier to utilize the services of a real estate agent instead of doing a search yourself. If you want to find a real estate agent near you, a quick way to find a local agent is to search “real estate agent near me” or a term such as “real estate agent + geo” works as well. For example, if I lived in Burley Idaho, I could search “real estate agent Burley, Idaho” to find a home for sale with a Burley real estate agent. Whether you decide to search on your own or with an agent, there are some things you should take into consideration to avoid ending up with a nightmare of a home rather than your dream home. Here we have listed here five alarming signs that you must never ignore while buying a house.
Not Allowed an Inspection
It is often said that you have nothing to worry about if you have nothing to hide. So if the owner of a house is worried about the inspection, you can bet your bottom dollar he has something to hide. Therefore, during negotiations of a home purchase, the owner does not want you to have the home inspected or allow you to hire someone of your choice – that is a major red flag. Do not get trapped into buying a property where the owner may have lied to you about the condition of the home, or if he’s worried an unbiased inspector may reveal all the dirty little secrets of the house the owner is trying to hide.
Neighborhood Sale
When checking out a potential home that has caught your eye, be sure to roam around the neighborhood. Checking out the neighborhood will provide you with a lot of valuable information. For example, are there multiple owners selling their properties in the same neighborhood? We suggest inquiring about this trend. The reason could be totally benign, but on the other hand, there could be serious issues that are driving homeowners out off their homes that should sway you away from buying a home in that particular neighborhood.
Questionable Smell
Let your nose do the walking in this situation, it can prove to be a fantastic asset in determining the condition of a home. When you go house shopping, keep your focus on various smells pervading the different areas of the house.
For example, if you smell sewage, mustiness, or smokiness, these are all signs of issues like a faulty sewage line, damaged walls, and even pest infiltration. You also want to be wary of homes that are overloaded with beautiful scents. Some owners will empty entire bottles of room fresheners in order to hide alarming smells. So if it smells too good to be true, it probably is!
Rough Looking Roof
Many of us forget to check the roofs when looking at homes we are interested in buying. Checking out the grounds and foundation and walls and most everything at eye-level, but don’t neglect the roof. Ignoring this aspect of your potential home can come back to bite you in the wallet and put a considerable dent in your finances. Be sure to check the integrity of the roof by examining whether the shingles have cracks in them or if there are any tiles missing in the structure.
Faulty Plumbing
When you go house hunting, always check the plumbing system by opening all the faucets in the house, give those toilets a good flush. If you see any discoloration of the water after opening the faucets, it is an indication of major issues like corrosion in the plumbing network. Also, check the water pressure, this will determine the integrity of the sanitary fittings.
What are some issues you’ve found when purchasing a new home? Leave them in the comment section below!