Red Flags To Watch For At An Open House

Visiting several open houses on a Saturday or Sunday is a good way to house hunt, especially since it'll give you a chance to take your time and look at everything without pressure. Use this freedom to do a little poking around, and as you browse, watch out for these red flags.

5 Tell-Tale Signs This May Not Be The Right Home For You

1. Foundation Problems
   The first thing you should look for, and the fastest deal-breaker on your list, is any sign of foundation problems. When you walk around the outside of the house or visit the basement, small cracks in the foundation shouldn't pose a problem, but large gaps are warning signs of future trouble. As you walk through the house, check to make sure doors and windows open and close easily and fit right in their frames; poor fit may indicate the house has shifted significantly. Cracks in the drywall above doors or around windows may also indicate a problem. Also, pay attention to whether walls have been removed during renovations; if those were load-bearing walls or structural supports, removing them may have caused the weight to shift to other parts of the house that weren't meant to support it.
   
   
2. Repair Work and Other Signs of Needed Maintenance
   As you walk the property, look for signs that the owners don't keep up with the maintenance. Burnt-out bulbs, leaky faucets, slow drains, clogged gutters, and uncut lawns may not seem like a big deal, but they may indicate a lax attitude about necessary maintenance. If the owners haven't taken care of these things that everyone can see as they walk through the home, what have they neglected that you can't see?
   
   
3. Strong Odors or Scents
   Obviously, if you smell something unpleasant such as mildew when you walk into the house, it should give you pause. But an excess of pleasant scents can also be a warning sign, as it may mean that the seller or their agent is trying to cover something up. It may be just for the open house, but at the very least, you should schedule a time to come back and look at the home again when the seller or the agent isn't trying as hard to make it smell nice.
   
   
4. Random Patches of Fresh Paint
   It's not uncommon for sellers to repaint the interior of their homes before listing, especially if the paint was old or if they were trying to depersonalize custom colors on the advice of their agent. But if you walk into a room and find just one wall, or even part of one wall, has a coat of fresh paint, you should question why the seller would paint such a small section. In the best case scenario, they had just recently done a repair; worst-case scenario, they're covering something up that would otherwise be cause for concern.
   
   
5. Trust Your Gut... and Your Agent
   If you see something concerning during an open house, don't be afraid to say thanks but no thanks. Remember that a home will be looking its absolute best for an open house, so if you still see something that makes you pause, there's probably more to it than meets the eye. If you're uncertain, don't forget to utilize the most important resource at your disposal: your agent, who has seen hundreds of houses for sale, and has the experience to get a quick read on the property.

Red flags can be a bummer, but they don't always have to be deal-breakers. It's best to talk with your real estate agent for the best course of action in these scenarios. 

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