You are in the market of purchasing your first home. After looking at several different homes, you finally come across one that you fall in love with.
Of course every home has some sort of physical defect. Some more costly than others. What are some of the hidden defects to watch out for?
Here is a list to help you:
- Water leaks. Look for stains on ceilings and near the baseboards, especially in basements or attics. Beware of freshly painted ceilings to hide the stains.
- Shifting foundations. Look for large cracks along the home's foundation.
- Drainage. Look for standing water, either around the foundation of the home or in the yard.
- Termites. Look for weakened or grooved wood, especially near ground level.
- Worn roofs. Look for broken or missing copings and buckled shingles as well as water spots on ceilings. If a roof looks like it is sagging, there may be a problem.
- Inadequate wiring. Look for antiquated fuse boxes, extension cords (indicating insufficient outlets), and outlets without a place to plug in the grounding prong.
- Plumbing problems. Very low water pressure, banging in pipes.
8. Odors. Could mean a major repair.
These are just some of the obvious signs of problems. A professional home inspection is still strongly suggested to thoroughly go over every inch of the home and property. This will give you an idea if there will be major expenses to repair the home.
Best thing to do besides looking for all of these yourself is to hire a home inspector. Voice your concerns about the things you see.
Good tips. How about a freshly painted ceiling to hide water stains?
Odors also are a red flag...
Brigita----good for you. I think the more that agents can know about some of the bigger warning signs about problems with homes the better for the buyer. I don't expect you to be a home inspector but I can't tell you the number of times I have done inspections for buyers that I feel the agent could have given the buyer a little "guidance" and saved themselves and the buyer a lot of time and money. One of my best referrers used to be a home inspector and I know he is able to help the buyer weed out a lot of houses----yet he still call me.
Here is Wisconsin we have a cover your butt form that begins with, "we always reccommend an inspection." Which only makes sense. You have a point in that it is much easier to educate a buyer before they begin looking at homes because we can not answer questions we are not licensed to answer. Unless we are a licensed inspector, or plumber. electrician or other contractor.
Brigita,
To add just a little with the water leaks, be sure and check for mold. Just a thought!
Good list -- that building inspection is essential (latent defects!!!!).
Li
Good list -- that building inspection is essential (latent defects!!!!).
Li
Brigita, if there is a bulldozer in the back yard run... Maybe the house and the machine have been formally introduced... LOL
Brigita, This is a great list to share with buyers. A home inspection is very important, no matter how good the house looks.
Russ:
Definitely hire a home inspector to do a thorough job. This list is intended more for the buyer to be able to spot some obvious problems.
Kevin & Karl:
Those are both very good. I will add them to the list.
Charles:
The whole idea of this list is to inform the buyer of some obvious defects from the start instead of shelling out money for a home inspector. If, after seeing the defects, they are still interested in the home, then yes, by all means hire a home inspector to do a thorough job.
Dennis:
I most certainly agree to go with a home inspection. I always strongly suggest is to my clients.
Joshua & Kathy:
That is a very good idea! The only thing is you don't always see the mold.
Li:
It certainly is!
Michael:
Heavy equipment in your back yard is a warning sign unless the seller owns a construction company. :-)
Gita:
Feel free to share this list with your buyers.
Home inspection is very important in purchasing a home. You should know as much about the home as possible.
Thank you for emphasizing the importance of a quality home inspection.
Joseph:
Your welcome! A quality home inspection is indeed important to have!