What to Watch Out for When Buying a Home

Saving up for a down payment and closing costs. Getting your credit into tip-top shape. Lowering your debt-to-income ratio. These are the basics of buying a home. But before you settle on “the one”, watch out for these possible red flags.

What to Watch Out for When Buying a Home

Odors

Sellers use fragrance to entice buyers. They also may use fragrances to mask larger issues. Use your nose to root out musty smells. This may indicate a potential water leak or even mildew/mold. Likewise, pet smells could mean possible damage to flooring that may extend beyond the carpet pad or underlining. Also, beware of overly fragrant properties. You won’t know for sure if the seller is trying to hide a problem or not until you get an independent home inspection done.

Messy/Dirty

Again, most sellers want to put their best face forward when selling their property. So, if they cannot even manage to clean up the house before they sell it, what else are they not taking care of? Make sure you look carefully beyond the mess.

Too Good to Be True

On the other hand, beware of a home that looks “too perfect”. Sure, the furniture is placed beautifully. And the accessories are stunning. Instead, look beyond the flashy topcoat and investigate the “bones” of the property. That’s where the value lies. Again, this is where a good home inspection comes in handy.

Surroundings

How’s the neighborhood? Well-kept lawns and tidy appearances tend to indicate pride of ownership. Cars on the lawn and poor curb appeal bring down your property’s value. Do your homework before you buy. Safewise offers seven tools to help you find out just how safe your neighborhood is.

Commute Time

Finally, with more and more people going back to work at a physical office again, commute time becomes another concern when buying a home. Pay attention to the amount of time it takes you to get from home to work and back again. Believe it or not, the daily grind becomes a drag pretty quickly, especially if it involves an hour or more drive time each way per day. Is the home really worth the hassle of dealing with traffic?

Muna Dionne, your Inland Empire specialist with Coldwell Banker Realty