5 things to look for when buying a home

Are you in the market to purchase a new home?  Perhaps you are going to be selling one and buying another one.  In either case, there are lots of things you should be looking for and that’s why it pays to hire a licensed Realtor® to represent you.  (Read more on why using a Realtor makes sense here.)  Here are 5 red flags that should make you take another look– and at least get to the bottom of things!FOUNDATION OR WALL CRACKSSome cracks are a normal part of a house settling that occurs with time. Others can indicate major structural issues or even previous water damage. Foundation work is a costly repair, so consult with a good home inspector before buying.  Some clients even hire multiple inspectors with different specialties.LAYOUT AND LOCATIONOne thing that absolutely can’t be “fixed” or altered after your move-in date is the physical location of the property.  Before buying, get out and walk around the house.  Go at different times of day, to get a feel for the “after school” traffic and rush hour traffic.  Look and listen around you.  The layout of the home is another thing you can’t easily fix after purchase. Sure, if you’re buying a tear-down or intend to gut and remodel, this isn’t a big deal.  But in general, you’ll want to walk the rooms and see if the layout works for you.  Is it open enough?  Do you have enough space to entertain?UNWELCOME PESTSYou’ll want to inspect for past and current evidence of termites.  In addition, roaches, mice and spiders are troublesome.  Granted, some of these pests can be seen as part of home ownership, especially if your property is situated near a wooded area or creek, but you’ll want to do your due diligence and go in with eyes open!IF YOU SMELL SOMETHING BADBad odors could be coming from pets, and if they have soiled the carpet, chances are you’ll be replacing the carpeting and padding as well.  Bad odors could also signal something much worse, like mold or even plumbing problems.  Again, when you are walking through the home, try to use all of your senses when observing and making notes.  And take notes/photos so you can point out to an inspector if you have any questions.TOO MANY ‘FOR SALE’ SIGNS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODIt could just be a sign of a hot market, with lots of properties moving.  BUT- you want to ask your Realtor to study comps and neighborhood market trend reports to     make sure property values are holding in the area and that there’s nothing causing everyone to leave!Let our team help you! We make the listing process easy and will have you on the road to selling your beautiful home in no time! Give us a call today! You can reach our team here.