Realtors see the insides (and outsides) of more homes than just about anybody — which means they know a thing or two about whether you should get your offer in ASAP or run for the hills. Knowing this, one Redditor asked realtors to share the “subtle red flags” they look out for when buying a house, and honestly, I’ll never look at a home the same way again. Here are some of their best tips for avoiding a potentially frustrating purchase.
1.
“Grading. Hands down. Or the angle at which the ground slopes at the house’s foundation. If the ground slopes towards the house, then any rain will just be funneled right up to your foundation and can cause some big problems. Extra caution if it is sloped concrete, like a driveway, because that means either mud jacking or jackhammering, which are both labor and cost-intensive. Seriously, when looking at a house, do a walk around the perimeter first. Could save you tens of thousands of dollars on future foundation problems.”
2.
“Speaking from personal experience, look out for a seller who likes to do DIY home improvements. Sure, those cabinets look OK, but you are in for a lifetime of problems! For example, the DIY kitchen cupboards we inherited 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. I’m NEVER, ever buying a home from a DIYer again! Almost 10 years later, and we still regularly find a new catastrophe caused by his DIY projects!”
—Sparkle_turd
3.
“If you are viewing houses in the winter and there are a lot of icicles on the roof, it’s not properly insulated.”
4.
“Fresh paint, new carpet, but nothing else updated. It’s the realtor remodel special — just there to make you feel good on your 15-minute walk-through. Look at the tiles, trim, and foundation to see what you really need to know. And always drive the neighborhood at night if you’re not familiar with it.”
—onepurch
5.
“Go to showings when it’s rainy as hell, then check out the basement. This will expose any water issues with the foundation, and even a moron like me could see them. One house I was shown had a cable run into the basement from outside at the dirt level, and it was never sealed — so there was a stream of water pouring over the circuit breaker box onto the basement floor.”
