Top 5 Potential Red Flags for Homebuyers

If you’re currently in the market to purchase a new home, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve contacted a real estate agent to assist you. And while they usually will do what they can to make sure that you get the kind of house that you’re looking for, something that you must keep in mind at all times is the fact that selling homes is still their business and so they might not divulge all of the things that you should know.

So, in order to prevent you from ending up with a house that you could regret living in, we wanted to take out just a moment to provide you with some of the potential red flags that every homebuyer should look out for below:

If there are a lot of “For Sale” signs in the neighborhood. Even if the house that you’re interested in appears to be lovely (even as it relates to its curb appeal), if you happen to notice more than a couple of “For Sale” signs in the neighborhood, more times than not, that is an indication that you need to do some further investigating. And by this, we mean that you ask the neighbors not the people selling the home.

If the house doesn’t smell good. Bad odors are always a sign of an issue somewhere in the house. If it smells musty, there could be a mold or mildew infestation. If it smells like rotten egg, that could be a gas leak. If it smells like fresh paint, that could be an indication that there is a water ring which could mean there is water damage. So if your nose senses something, try not to ignore it.

If the lights are flickering or the outlets don’t work. Absolutely one of the worst things to happen is to buy a home that that has faulty wiring because having electrical work done to a place can end up being pretty costly. So, if you happen to walk in some rooms and the lights don’t come on or they’re flickering on and off or if you happen to plug a lamp or CD player in some of the outlets and the item doesn’t come on, that could mean that the wiring has some issues. Take special note of that.

If they won’t let you in certain rooms. If you were to consult with a company like Roche Realty Group for some tips on potential red flags to look out for, one of the things that they might mention is that it’s a bad sign if there are certain rooms in a house that are locked or you’re asked to not look into. When a home is on the market and open to prospective buyers, they should be able to go through the entire place. If you are not allowed to do so, take that as another indication that you might need to look elsewhere.

If you see bugs. You know what they say: For every cockroach that you see, there are dozens that you don’t. So, if you happen to see roaches, ants or any other kinds of insects, that is not a house that you want to live in. It’s better to keep looking than to be in one that is infested with bugs. For more information on how to pick out potential red flags, contact a local home inspector in your area for a list of additional tips.