"The Inspector Will Not Check For It": 23 Realtors Shared The Tiny Things They Notice In Home Tours That Often Signal Hidden Catastrophes
Realtors see the insides (and outsides) of more homes than just about anybody — which means they know a thing or two about whether you should get your offer in ASAP or run for the hills. Knowing this, one Redditor asked realtors to share the "subtle red flags" they look out for when buying a house, and honestly, I'll never look at a home the same way again. Here are some of their best tips for avoiding a potentially frustrating purchase.
1."Grading. Hands down. Or the angle at which the ground slopes at the house's foundation. If the ground slopes towards the house, then any rain will just be funneled right up to your foundation and can cause some big problems. Extra caution if it is sloped concrete, like a driveway, because that means either mud jacking or jackhammering, which are both labor and cost-intensive. Seriously, when looking at a house, do a walk around the perimeter first. Could save you tens of thousands of dollars on future foundation problems."
2."Speaking from personal experience, look out for a seller who likes to do DIY home improvements. Sure, those cabinets look OK, but you are in for a lifetime of problems! For example, the DIY kitchen cupboards we inherited all have awkward and poorly sealed gaps, which became the scene of a mouse and cockroach infestation. Had to rip it all apart to figure that out. I'm NEVER, ever buying a home from a DIYer again! Almost 10 years later, and we still regularly find a new catastrophe caused by his DIY projects!"
3."If you are viewing houses in the winter and there are a lot of icicles on the roof, it’s not properly insulated."
4."Fresh paint, new carpet, but nothing else updated. It's the realtor remodel special — just there to make you feel good on your 15-minute walk-through. Look at the tiles, trim, and foundation to see what you really need to know. And always drive the neighborhood at night if you're not familiar with it."
5."Go to showings when it's rainy as hell, then check out the basement. This will expose any water issues with the foundation, and even a moron like me could see them. One house I was shown had a cable run into the basement from outside at the dirt level, and it was never sealed — so there was a stream of water pouring over the circuit breaker box onto the basement floor."
6."Get the damn sewer line inspected! Basement sewer backups are the worst!"
7."My grandfather sold real estate for decades. The first two things he looked for were the roof and the furnace. If either were too old or looked like a possible replacement was needed soon, then it's something to consider; most first-time home buyers can't afford to replace in the first couple years, and many older homeowners would rather not replace either."
8."Please, please, PLEASE check the attic. People buy houses and never check the actual AC ducts. If you go up there and smell a burnt smell, or see big silvery tubes that look crumpled, those are issues."
9."Foundation problems are common, and most houses in my part of the country are on slabs without basements. Walk the perimeter of the house and look for cracks going up from the ground or slab to the base of the windows. This indicates the foundation is sinking a bit. Similarly, if the house has a brick veneer, stand at the corner and look down the grout line between two rows of bricks. See if it is straight both up and down and side to side. If it's not, there could be foundation problems. While walking the perimeter of the house, look at the eaves and pay attention to whether they are freshly painted or caulked. If things are out of alignment, it could indicate a shifting foundation, and sometimes caulk and paint help cover it up."
10."For the love of god, check your cellphone signal in the house. I just moved into a new house, and I have one bar on the second floor if I stand on a chair. It turns out there's only one cell tower to serve the surrounding neighborhood of 200+ houses, and since it's next to a neighborhood of million-dollar homes, they can't get the approval to put in another one, so I'm SOL."
11."I look at the age of the AC condenser outside. They last 15 years or so and always have a manufacturing date on them. Same for the roof —15–20 year life."
12."If you walk into a house and are hit by the smell of Febreeze or air fresheners...well, expect that it probably smells like dogs or smoke when that stuff wears off. Bear in mind that a lot of agents like to burn pretty-smelling candles or bake some cookies right before an open house, so it's not a hard-and-fast rule. You mostly want to watch out for it if you're seeing it by appointment."
13."When I was young, my parents took me to an open house, and they loved everything about the property. We are in the half-finished basement, and my mom has gone into the unfinished part, which has insulation completely put up around what would be exposed foundation concrete bricks. She finds a seam in the insulation and, because that's who she is...pulls it back a little. My dad is in the middle of saying, 'Don't do that, you're being ridiculous,' when she interrupts him to tell him to have a look. There was a huge crack in the foundation running from the floor, diagonally across the entire foundation and up to the ceiling. TL;DR: Insulation installed over an unfinished foundational wall may equal a crack in the foundation."
14."Is the home in a flood zone? If so, what is the historical data regarding floods and other catastrophic weather events (not covered by traditional homeowners insurance, so this is a cost to consider in addition to overall risk)? Maybe it's not subtle, but it's a less often thought of item that leads to the most expensive and catastrophic outcome."
15."I always try to get hold of previous water bills to gauge if there's a leak somewhere. I put an offer on this house once, and the underside was hollow, with a thin slab of cement because of the water gushing from one of the pipes. One hole was around four feet."
16."An inspector taking only an hour or two to look at the house."
17."In the US, make sure you know the utility options before you buy, especially the internet, because you rarely have a choice between two or more utilities. Make sure it's something you can tolerate."
18."I always look around the floor of the basement. Usually, you can tell if there has been standing water down there. The obvious sign is a 'ring,' like a high water mark. It can be difficult to see if cleanup (i.e., cover-up) has been done, but you can usually tell on the back of the stairs or someplace else inconspicuous. Also, if there is anything metal down there, like a shelving unit, and the legs are all rusty, or if there are lifted or missing tiles, particularly if it's in a low spot or around a drain."
19."One of the first things I look at before I view the house is the MLS. In my area, we have a 17-day average on the market. Some houses will sell in less than 10. Once it hits 30+ days, it is a huge red flag to me. There are multiple reasons why a home won't sell, but if I see 30+ days, I become skeptical already."
20."If there is a basement or crawlspace, check the floor joists for the first floor. One house I looked at was great. However, it sat on an old stone foundation with no vapor barrier or anything between itself and the floor joists. The joists were rotted at both ends to the point where you could push your finger through. Two stories of house were sitting atop these, so it's a serious issue. Guess who had an inspector tell them it was a problem when they originally bought the house? Guess what wasn't on the seller's disclosure? Guess who played dumb? We finally got them to give up their inspection report (after two weeks), which outlined the issue. Don't trust sellers. We 'noped' out of that house real quick."
21."Did the homeowners bother to clean for the showing? If you walk into a dirty house they are actively trying to sell, the sellers are likely neglecting lots of basic upkeep on appliances, the yard, etc. Look for any signs of DIY or cheaply finished projects; if you can spot it done poorly on the outside, it is probably worse where you can't see it. Ikea cabinets in the kitchen are also a red flag for me; they are cheaper and easier, meaning someone was not invested in the longevity of the work, or they weren't all that handy. Fine for a starter home, or if you want to gut the kitchen anyway, but not good for somewhere you plan on living for 20–40 years."
22."Always check the basement ceiling for mold. It will probably be black. This stuff is deadly and extremely expensive to deal with. Do this especially if you see a de-humidifier in the basement."
23.And finally: "Be extra thorough if the house used to be rented out. We bought a house that was rented out the year before we moved in, and it was RIDDLED WITH BEDBUGS. The inspector will not check for this. It cost us thousands."
Realtors: What's a homebuying tip or red flag that was missed in this list? Chime in through the comments or this anonymous form and your tip could be included in a future BuzzFeed post.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
