Are you ready to buy a home? If you’re about to head out there and view what could be the home of your dreams, make sure your excitement doesn’t get the better of you! Yes, what you’re sensing are warning signs, and you shouldn’t ignore them in favor of getting a good deal.
You need to keep your wits about you, which will help you to sniff out what’s going wrong in an otherwise impeccable looking home, and you won’t fall into the trap of buying a fixer-upper in disguise. To help you get clued up, here are 3 major warning signs to look out for when undergoing a house viewing.
Don’t Let the Smell Go
Whenever you walk into a room in the house you’re viewing, be sure to take a deep breath and see what you register. Maybe the air is a bit stale and/or musty? Maybe there’s a bit of a weird, fishy scent coming from somewhere?
Both of these are big warning signs, and could be a surefire indicator that the home has been dressed up to hide something worse… Indeed, the fishy smell could even be a sign that the electrical wiring is old and faulty, which is not a problem you want to take on as a first time owner!
Check on the Roof
The roof should be a big part of your warning sign test. You need to know that it’s in good condition, because any faulty roofing work can cause big, big problems for you in the near future! Not only will you have to fork out a lot of money to get the shingle or tiles re-laid, but there’s no telling the kind of damage the external elements will do to the inside of your home as well.
But what are you looking for? Start with the outside; do the gutters look loose and/or rusty? Does the roof itself appear to be crumbling? Then inside, look for ceiling stains, or any exposed nails above your head. Keep an eye out for signs of mold around the roof edges both inside and outside as well!
Test Out the Plumbing
Finally, make sure you turn on a few faucets, and even flush the toilet while you’re taking a look around – it could save you a lot of money later on in having to get old pipes replaced! In doing so, you’re looking for signs that the water pressure in the house is good, and that the pipes don’t rattle in places when water is passing through them. Similarly, you also want to check the state of the water itself; does it look and smell clean? Check just to be sure.
There are some major warning signs you can spot when viewing a house for the first time, and you shouldn’t ignore them. You need to know you’re moving into the home you really want, and that means taking time and effort now to weed out bad eggs!
What do you think?