Red Flags to Watch Out for When Buying a Home

A home is a big investment, so when you’re investing in a property, you want to make sure it’s a good investment. While there aren’t any ways to know definitively, there are red flags to look for that could indicate a home is a less-than-ideal investment.

So what, exactly, are those flags?

A recent article from realtor.com outlined the red flags you’ll want to look for when buying a home, including:

• Questionable tiling. Kitchen and/or bathroom tiling that’s uneven (either with the tiles themselves or the gaps between the tiles) often indicates a DIY job. Whether the previous owner took tiling into their own hands and did a shoddy job, or they hired a contractor that didn’t know what they were doing, chances are, you’ll find similar issues with other home renovations and could be looking at a serious investment to fix everything up.

• Foundation issues. While hairline cracks in a home’s foundation are fairly common, if the home you’re looking at has large gaps in the foundation, it likely points to a larger, extremely expensive problem to fix.

• Signs that property maintenance wasn’t a priority. Regular home maintenance tasks—like changing the air filters, flushing the water heater, and re-caulking around windows and doors—can help preserve a home’s value and avoid expensive repairs. If there are signs that the previous homeowner neglected these tasks, consider it a red flag that you might be facing costly repairs if you buy the home.

Bottom Line: These are just a few red flags that could be in a home you tour. And although a home inspector may catch these in his inspection, keeping an eye out for red flags can save you from wasting your time on a home that isn’t a good fit for you. Chat with your Realtor about other red flags they see in a home!