Hire an Inspector to Investigate These Ten Things Before Purchasing Your New Home
House hunting for a new prospective home is exciting, especially when you find the home of your dreams that checks off your list. However, appearances can be deceiving, with the home’s biggest red flags hiding in plain sight if you aren’t sure what to look for. If you aren’t careful, you might end up with a lemon for a new house that will drain your bank account. We advise trying not to fall in love with a house before you know all of the facts, as well as the red flags. Keep a cool head, and keep your eyes peeled so you can make a wise decision and know for a fact that your new home is worth every penny.
In this article, we will uncover ten red flags to keep an eye out for when house hunting in Nashville, Tennessee.
1. A Neighborhood Sell-Out
Before you set foot on a property, you should have your eyes peeled for any red flags. Look at the neighborhood, for instance, and see if there is a higher-than-average number of sale signs at neighboring houses. If there are tons of properties in a neighborhood that are for sale or have recently sold, ask your real estate agent and yourself why this is. Unless the prospective home is in a brand-new community, a higher number of for sale signs might be a herring that the area is less desirable than you think. Homeowners can choose to vacate a neighborhood for several reasons, including the following:
- An increase in crime rates.
- Decline in work opportunities.
- Diminished school quality.
- Disliked property developments.
2. Cracks in the Foundation
Cracks in the foundation can be devastating to the health of a home’s future and are a big indicator that you should not be signing on the dotted line. Cracks can be found on the exterior of the foundation, inside the home’s basement if it has one, or beneath the floors. Cracks in the foundation can be caused by several things, including the following:
- Substandard drainage.
- Unproperly packed soil before construction.
- Weather changes.
- Natural disasters.
No matter the underlying cause, some cracks in the foundation can be very serious. Structural cracks can threaten a home’s integrity and appear in concrete walls. If this issue is left unchecked, it can cause a home to tilt or lean. Alternatively, a nonstructural crack can serve as a hiding spot for vermin or serve as the perfect hiding spot for mold. While it is true that not all cracks in the foundation will affect the structural integrity of a house, they can be aesthetically unappealing and lower a home’s resale value.
3. Water Damage
During the touring process of a home, before you opt to make an offer, check for any water damage in the form of bubbles, stains, or spots. If there is staining on the floors, walls, or ceiling, it can lead to discoloration of paint, surface imperfections, and other unappealing aesthetics or issues with the structure. In many cases, water stains can quickly develop cracks or holes in the floors or walls from corrosion or deterioration. Any water stains on the exterior of a home will look like bubbles underneath the surface, indicating that the vinyl siding will need to be replaced or has not been properly sealed. Any water stains inside of the house are a clear indication that there is a leaky pipe or roof–both are expensive repairs.
On the off chance, a rare water stain is not an immediate red flag but should be double-checked by a professional inspector to ensure what is found is not an indication of a bigger issue under the surface. If a house you are touring has multiple stains, we recommend skipping that property entirely, as you don’t want to be saddled up with scrubbing away or repairing water spots in your new home.
4. Damage from Termites
Termites are the worst pests imaginable, especially as they can pose a difficult self-extermination project. They tend to thrive in warm climates, and their presence is greater in southern homes. Even worse, termite damage can be easily mistaken for water damage, making it impossible to buy a home without fully understanding the load of work ahead. When inspecting a home, check for signs of termite infestation in wood floors, walls, and ceilings. All termite species hollow out wood while chewing through it, and signs you might encounter them without realizing it include the following:
- Discolored wood or paint.
- Bubbles in paint or wood.
- Mud tubes, or hollow tubes beneath paint or wood layers.
- Insect wings.
- Termite waste that is wood-colored.
5. Window Condensation
Windows with trapped moisture or fog are big red flags inside a home, as this generally means that there is a breakdown in the sealing. In the worst-case scenario, multiple windows might have poor sealing, meaning there is a lot of humid air that moves from outside to condense inside. This not only looks unattractive, but it might mean that your home will lose cold or hot air from the HVAC system, running the utility bill through the roof. Windows opened frequently, like sliding windows, will suffer more from damage to the seal and can become foggy without proper maintenance. Foggy windows are not always deal breakers, however, as they can be easily replaced with attractive alternatives: varieties of energy-efficient windows or the installation of new IGUs to save from replacing the window entirely.
6. Doors That Have a Hard Time Closing
When a door is having a difficult time closing, it can mean that the frame has shifted, meaning that the door no longer fits inside of the frame. If you plan on buying this house in the future, you may have to cut off a part of the door’s bottom or top to force it to close entirely. This is an occurrence linked to poor construction, weather, issues in the foundation, and more. As you are walking through the house, make sure to check all the doors before purchasing the new home. If wood is shaved off on the edge, it means that the current homeowner has already had to deal with this issue before. Just like foggy windows, if you have to replace only one door, it doesn’t mean the whole house is not a good purchase option.
7. A Slope in the Floors
If you step inside the home and feel like it is off balance, this is a red flag! If you first notice sloping floors, this can be a big indicator of issues within the structure that will have to be fixed sooner rather than later. Some of the following issues include:
- Rotted wood is used for flooring or supports.
- Collapsed beams beneath the floor.
- Foundation or soil issues.
A great trick to help you find out if the floors in a home are sloping is to carry a marble during tours. Put the marble on the floor, and if it starts to roll in any direction, it will confirm the floor is not level, and you should continue your house hunting elsewhere.
8. Roofs With Layers or Missing Shingles
Missing shingles are a red flag all on their own, as they indicate that the roof requires repair or replacement. Multiple layers of shingles might mean the current homeowner is trying to hide something like subpar past work. Layers upon layers of shingles can add unnecessary weight while trapping heat; both are bad for the structure of a home.
9. Sagging Ceilings
When you are finishing a walkthrough of a home, take a look at the ceilings and ensure that they don’t appear to be sagging or feature little water bubbles. Sagging ceilings can be a big indicator of a few things, including the following:
- A problem with the structure or foundation of the home.
- Leaks in the ceiling will soften wood in the ceiling and cause bending in beams.
In both cases, a sagging ceiling will mean expensive future repairs are on the books for you.
10. Bargain-Priced Homes
Apart from any obvious physical issues, you should take note if a house is advertised at a rock-bottom price. Suppose you are looking for a house in a reputable neighborhood with top-rated schools or direct access to local shops and entertainment. If one house is advertised at a low price below competitive rates in the area, why is this? The owner of the property or real estate agent isn’t doing this to give you a deal so that only leaves the conclusion that there is something wrong with the house to warrant the discount. Keep an eye on the current mortgage rates when shopping, as they tend to fluctuate daily.
Bottom Line
Always trust a professional inspector to conduct a final, deep dive into a property before you decide to purchase. You will thank yourself in the long run after the fact if anything is uncovered that you might have missed. From thorough inspections for leaky roofs, structural issues, infestations, and issues in the windows or doors to bargain-priced homes, having a trusted real estate agent at your side, and the help of an inspector, you will be set up for success in your future house hunting. Trust the real estate professionals at Benchmark Realty to guide you in finding and settling down in the home of your dreams in the many historic, well-preserved urban neighborhoods that make up Nashville, TN, today.