Buying your first home can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. When you’re touring potential homes, seeing the new appliances and the smart modern furniture — plus taking in that fresh new home smell — can take your attention away from the smaller but crucial details that may come back to haunt you later. The following infographic highlights some critical but easy to overlook things for first-time homebuyers to consider when viewing a potential home.
If It Smells Too Good to Be True…
We’re not saying that every good-smelling home has hidden causes for concern underneath those floral notes, but if the house smells overly flowery, it is a cause for concern. Sellers can use strong pleasant scents to mask strong foul odors that are signs of larger problems with the house that you wouldn’t find until you brought in a home inspector.
Does Your Phone Need Charging? Better Check the Outlets
We all know that every outlet in the home can quickly become an emergency phone charger at a moment’s notice. There is no worse feeling than plugging your charger into an outlet to charge your phone that’s sitting at 3% power and find that the outlet doesn’t work. Instead of waiting for that stressful moment to happen after moving in, bring your charger with you to the open house and plug it into any outlets you see.
Signs of Lax Property Maintenance
While blatant visual signs like high unmowed grass might be something you see right away, other smaller signs indicate trouble. The current homeowner may not take the time to conduct routine home maintenance to keep the home in good condition and avoid more costly repairs down the road. Check for leaky faucets, faded or chipped paint, damp spots on the ceiling, or burnt-out lightbulbs. These are easy to miss but telltale signs that the current homeowner does not prioritize the routine home maintenance that can snowball into more significant problems if left unchecked.
Wonky and Wayward Windows
When you’re first walking up to the house for the viewing, it can prove difficult to see if the windows show signs of damage. They add to the picturesque setting and invite you inside to see the rest of the house. However, you should take the time to do a quick inspection of the windows while you’re there. Look for any signs of bowing, warping, or gaps in the window frames. These are clear indications that your potential windows have seen better days and will need costly replacement windows in the future. The longer you go without getting the windows repaired or replaced, the greater the likelihood of your heating and cooling bills in the winter and summer skyrocketing.
Water Damage + Mold = Costly Home Repairs
Mold can often be hard to spot at first glance. Usually, if the signs of mold growth are that noticeable, then you’ll know about it. However, mold can grow in spots unseen due to moisture accumulation and ongoing water damage and infiltration. So while you may not be able to see all of the mold growing within the home, checking for signs of water damage can help pinpoint potential trouble spots before you bring in a home inspector and get stuck footing the bill.
When you’re first getting started visiting and touring potential homes, the thrill and excitement can overwhelm you and cause you to miss some of the finer details. Having a plan going in and a checklist of what to keep an eye out for can help you avoid homes with hidden dangers and bigger future home renovation projects that you didn’t initially plan for in your budget. With the help of the Milano Realty Group, we can give you the guidance you need to find the best home for you!
