House hunters are so busy trying to find their dream home that they forget to look out for nightmare homes. These properties are the ones that can seem perfectly fine on the outside but contain problems that make them absolutely unlivable. Here are three areas to keep in mind when house hunting.
🏚️ Foundation Problems
A house doesn’t just start sinking into the ground out of the blue. Foundation problems can be very subtle, starting with a few loose floorboards and leading to a house that looks like it’s on the verge of collapse. You can’t just do a little digging to remedy this issue.
Foundation problems require experts working diligently in order to be solved. Should you want to buy a house that has foundation problems, you need to tell the previous owner that you won’t consider buying until these issues are fixed. This will give them more of an incentive to take care of this major problem right away.
🔌 Electrical Problems
Your home needs electricity, but electrical problems are a serious issue. They are the most common cause of house fires. Some common issues include poor wiring, regular surges, and frequent shocking.
🕵️ Frequent Ownership Turnover
Take a look at the ownership history of a house before buying. If the current owner has only lived it in for a couple of years and the previous owners vacated at a similar rate, it’s probably not a coincidence. Sometimes, people love their house but have to move for work or for their partners.
But a trend of people selling a home not much longer after they bought it is concerning. If a house has potential as a fixer-upper, you need to make sure that you’re willing to follow through with the renovations. Otherwise, you’ll be desperately looking for a buyer yourself.
👉 Real Estate Red Flags Conclusion
A house can look wonderful in an online real estate listing and even better in person, but it could actually contain all kinds of hidden troubles. Should you move in without noticing them, these troubles could easily come out in the open and make you rue your purchase. Keep your eyes peeled for any of these red flags so that you can find a home suitable for you and everyone else in your family.
