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Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home

If you’re thinking about relocating your family to a new home, you are probably feeling a mix of emotions. Moving can be an exciting time to start fresh, but it can also come with its share of worries and stresses. One of the biggest worries is that you might move into a home and realize that there are big, costly problems with the home (that your inspector didn’t catch).

Here are some quick and easy ways to tell if there might be an underlying issue with the home. Obviously, if you sense something might be wrong, you will need to pay an inspector (or a special service company) to investigate and confirm an issue.

Foundational

• Cracks in the driveway, foundation or sidewalks 
• Drainage systems not pointing away from the house 
• Yard sloping towards the house 
• Standing water near the foundation 
• Trees with roots close to the foundation 
• Cracks in the walls 
• Windows or wall corners not square 
• Gaps on top of interior doors when closed

• Musty smell 
• Cracks around windows 
• Peeling paint 
• Leaking faucets, bath tubs or toilets 
• Water stains on the walls 
• No bathroom ventilation 
• Missing tile caulk

• Ceiling stains 
• Missing, cracked, curled or warped shingles

• Lights that flicker or short-out 
• Main panel condition (rusty or damaged in any way) 
• Exposed wires