You think you’ve found your dream home, and it seems to have all your “must haves.” Before you close on any home, it’s important to realize that there are some things sellers might try to hide, and these things can often be hidden well enough that you don’t notice them until you move into the home. When considering the purchase of a new home, make sure to ask the seller and the seller’s agent a lot of questions. To save money in the long run, be on the lookout for these 5 things that sellers might try to hide.
1. Mold
If there are any leaks, poor ventilation, flooding that hasn’t been thoroughly dried, or poor housekeeping habits, there can be mold hiding in the home. Mold can affect the appearance of a home and cause an unpleasant odor, but most importantly, it has been linked to many health issues. When looking at a home, look for any standing water, water damage on walls or ceilings, and musty smells. As always, make sure to hire a professional home inspector who is trained to look for all these things. If you are interested enough in a home to make an offer on it, make the sale contingent upon your satisfaction of a home inspection in case there is a mold problem.
2. Termites
Termite damage can be very hard to spot. In fact, some homeowners might not even know that termites are eating away at the insides of the walls. Some states require that sellers tell buyers about potential infestations during the sales process. Some termite damage may not warrant completely walking away from the home, and there are many homes that have evidence of damage. Assess the extent of the damage and what it may take to fix it or to just eliminate the pests. Every transaction is different, so discuss with your Real Estate agent what your options might be.
3. Foundation Issues
Always look for cracks in the foundation when walking through and around a home. These can costs tens of thousands of dollars to repair. And more importantly, if left alone, foundation issues can lead to a lot of problems in your home.
4. Bad Plumbing
Bad plumbing is easily hid but not easily fixed. This is just one more reason to hire a professional home inspector to do a very thorough inspection. However, some home inspections will only identify basic plumbing issues. If there are basic plumbing issues found, it pays to hire a plumber to do a pre-purchase inspection to ensure that you won’t be paying thousands of dollars later to fix expensive damage caused by hidden plumbing issues.
5. The Neighborhood or Bad Neighbors
Sometimes sellers can hide things like a high crime rate, a flyover zone, or other issues with the neighborhood. It’s always a good idea to drive through the neighborhood at different times during both the day and night if you are seriously considering purchasing a home. Knock on the doors of the surrounding neighbors to meet them and ask them about the neighborhood. With the help of the Internet, it’s easy to look up statistics about the area. Also, make sure you hire a trusted Real Estate agent that is familiar with the area.