If you’re in the market for a new home, it can be exciting and scary to start looking at properties. While you might like what you see on the outside for many of the homes, it can be what you don’t see on the inside that could present some problems for you.
So to help ensure that you don’t wind up buying a home that has more issues than you anticipated dealing with, here are three red flags to look for when buying a new home.
“As Is” Properties
Because a home is such a large purchase, it can be thrilling to look for a home that’s a good deal as far as the price goes. However, you’ll want to be careful if you start looking at homes that are lower in price and listed as being sold “as is.”
According to Beverly Serral, a contributor to Forbes.com, properties that are being sold “as is” usually have at least some type of problem that the seller is aware of and is willing to give a price cut for just so long as they don’t have to deal with the issues before selling it. While this can be a good deal in the right situation, it should raise some red flags for you so that you know to be on sharp lookout for things that could be wrong with the home.
Visible Cracks Throughout The Home
One of the biggest issues you can run into with a piece of property is if it has issues with the foundation. A likely sign of this is if you see visible cracks in areas throughout the home, both in the actual foundation or cracks along the walls, ceiling, and floors.
If you do see visible cracks, Glenda Taylor, a contributor to BobVila.com, shares that you should really only start getting concerned if the crack is wider than ½ an inch. Additionally, if you see evidence that there have been cracks recently patched up or attempts have been made to fix them, make sure you bring in a professional to double-check that the work was done correctly.
Poorly Maintained Neighborhood
Aside from the home itself, Jamie Wiebe, a contributor to Realtor.com, shares that you should also consider it a red flag if the other homes on the street you’re considering moving onto aren’t very well maintained. Because the property values of the entire neighborhood can have a big impact on the value of one specific home, you don’t want to buy a piece of property that will be negatively affected by a lack of pride in the homes around you.
To help ensure that you find the right home for you, consider keeping an eye out for the red flags mentioned above.