Five Warning Signs When Buying a Home

Walking into a home in Chatham-Kent, you should not be instantly worried, or imagining dollar signs adding up in your head. Often, buyers overlook some major defects and concerns in homes that should send them running. Overlooking a minor detail is no big deal, but missing something major could lead to you putting in an offer on a money pit.

If you do get all the way to the offer process, at the very least your home inspector should catch the major warning signs and defects in a house, but by this time, you're likely financially and emotionally invested in the process. The next time you walk through a home in Chatham-Kent as a potential buyer, keep your eyes, ears, and nose open for these major warning signs.

  • Water Damage: Discolouration on the ceilings, floors, and walls are a sign that this home has issues. Whether it is a leaky roof, an improperly installed downspout, or proximity to an external body of water, if you can see water in the home, it's already too late. After you fix the source of the issue, (replacing a roof can cost thousands upon thousands), you'll have to pay even more to repair the interior damage caused by water. Look in the basements and attics, those first entry points will show the most extreme signals. This is especially true if your Chatham-Kent home is located along a river.
  • Visible Mold: Usually caused by external water damage, mold is often present around windows and bath fixtures. Typically, mold is caused by sitting water. This could mean that water is entering from the outside of the home, pipes are leaking, there is improper ventilation throughout the home, or barriers and caulking around your bath or shower were not done properly. If you see some mold on the wall, you can expect there to be more behind it. Mold is a major health risk and not something you need to deal with in a newly purchased home. Don't be afraid to ask your Chatham-Kent realtor for help pointing out some of these signs.
  • Smells: Trust your nose. If you walk into the basement and it smells musty, there might be an issue. If you walk through the front door and smell cigarette smoke, consider the work you'll need to do. New paint and new carpets are a must to rid the house of this smell. Pets can cause similar odour issues, leaving your scrubbing, renovating, and plugging your nose for weeks, months, or permanently.
  • Cracks in foundation: Cracks in the ceilings and walls, doors and windows which don't open easily, and visible cracking around the outside of the home are dead giveaways of foundation problems. A lot of potential home buyers walk around the exterior of a house looking for landscaping and outdoor living spaces, but they don't thoroughly investigate the foundation of the home. Most Chatham-Kent realtors will tell you that foundation issues are one of the biggest concerns, a fast way to scare away a buyer and likely one of the largest costs for any homeowner.
  • Unfinished renovations: You would be surprised how many home owners in Chatham-Kent attempt home renovations without any building knowledge. Home owners dangerously alter electrical, plumbing, insulation, and even structure. Don't be afraid to ask your Chatham-Kent Realtor about renovations, who did them and when they were completed. If you see any unfinished jobs around the house, it would be wise to question what else was unfinished or overlooked in previous renovations.

During the home buying process, you'll never catch every miniscule chip in the walls, or dripping faucet in a home, but you can protect yourself against buying, or even putting in an offer, on a complete lemon. If you need help from a Chatham-Kent Realtor searching for the perfect home, while avoiding those lemons, feel free to Contact Me or call 519-360-0141.