5 Major Red Flags to Watch for When You Tour Homes for Sale in Jasper

Published On: January 10, 2022|Categories: Blog, Buyers|Tags: Buying a Home, DIY Home Improvements, Red Flags, Tips|

What should you watch out for when you’re touring homes for sale? This guide explains.

If you’re like many people searching for a home for sale in Jasper or a nearby city, your REALTOR® will be there with you every step of the way. But with that said, here are five major red flags that you should be on the lookout for while you’re touring houses.

5 Major Red Flags to Watch for When You Tour Homes for Sale in Jasper

Going out and seeing homes is exciting – after all, there’s a great chance that you’re going to find your dream home while you’re out with your real estate agent. However, as excited as you get, you still have to keep in mind that some houses have hidden signs that can signal a home is a bad buy. Here are five red flags to watch for when you tour homes for sale in Jasper (or anywhere else):

Sloppy tiling or hardwoods
Overwhelming scents
Signs of water damage
Windows and doors that stick
Signs of deferred maintenance

Here’s a closer look at each.

Red Flag #1: Sloppy Tiling or Hardwoods

When the tile in a kitchen or bathroom looks poorly done, or when it looks like the hardwood floors don’t fit together quite right, it may be a sign of a DIY job. Although there’s nothing wrong with DIY tiling or hardwood floors, the finished product can give you a clue about how well it was done – and if the result isn’t great, it might mean that you’ll have to spend money fixing it later.

A noticeable DIY job on the floor may also mean that the owner has done other home upgrades and repairs themselves, rather than hiring a professional. You should talk to your REALTOR about finding out whether the home has been worked on in the past – and if so, by whom.

Red Flag #2: Overwhelming Scents

Overwhelming scents – even good ones – may be a sign that the current owner is trying to hide something. Though it’s nice to smell freshly baked cookies in the kitchen, laundry detergent in the laundry room and cleaning scents in the bathrooms, be wary if there are plug-in fragrances, wax warmers and candles burning all over the house. There might be something the owner doesn’t want you to smell.

Red Flag #3: Signs of Water Damage

Water damage is a big problem – one that can cost you big bucks. If you see water damage around the house, which can look like a discoloration on the ceiling or walls, mold or mildew growth, or blistering or bubbling paint, you should try to find out whether there’s been a leak – and if there has, what’s been done to address it. A new roof can cost upwards of $10,000, and you need to know that leaky roofs never get better with time; in fact, they can get exponentially worse very quickly.

Related: FHA home loan FAQ

Red Flag #4: Windows and Doors That Stick

Windows and doors that don’t open easily can signal foundation damage. You should open and close all the windows and doors in the house – and if you have trouble moving them, or if they appear lopsided, there may be an issue. (The issue could just as easily be poor installation, which is likely when only one window or door is affected.) The bottom line is that windows and doors that stick can be costly to repair, so think twice if you’re in a home that has this issue.

Red Flag #5: Signs of Deferred Maintenance

When home maintenance isn’t an owner’s priority, lots of things can slide by – but the problem with that is that letting minor issues go for too long inevitably leads to big issues. Check for things like burned-out lightbulbs, dusty air vents, shoddy or torn-up caulking around windows, and chirping smoke detectors. These can all be signs that the current owner hasn’t been too concerned with property maintenance.

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