What To Look For When Viewing Home
If you are in the Windsor real estate market looking buy your next home chances are you will be visiting a variety of homes and properties to see if they are right for you. You'll be trying to get a feel for the home, the neighbourhood, and trying to picture yourself living in the home. There is one more important thing to do however, act as your own inspector and look for the signs that home has issues.
- Foundation Cracks or Tilts
- These are con't miss items. These are the issues that costs thousands and thousands to repair. When walking around the exterior or laundry room, look for cracks or tilts in the foundation. They can indicate structural problems and would almost certainly disqualify a home purchase for many.
- Property History
- Your Windsor REALTOR® will help you with this one. If the home has a high owner turnover, meaning the property has sold many times, this can be an indicator of property issues that have caused past owners to move on. If it seems to sell every 2-3 years, it should raise some alarm bells.
- Hidden Water Damage
- Be wary of the quick paint jobs, you'll be able to tell when a coat has just be slapped onto the wall. If this is in the basement, be sure to have it professionally inspected as they have tools to measure moisture. Where there is untreated moisture issues, there is the potential for mold.
- Overabundance of Air Fresheners or Music Playing
- These are two of the most common tactics used to cover or distract. The current home owner and selling agent is trying to cover smells and sounds that could be a deterrent to someone purchasing the home. Smells like pets, leaks, or environmental surroundings and sounds such as traffic or loud appliances could be just a few things they are trying to distract from.
- “Off-Limit” Areas
- Major red flag alert. If they nothing to hide, why are you not allowed to view that part of the home. This is especially true for areas like crawl spaces or attics. Chances are they are hiding something that will most likely cause you to walk away from the home. An off-limit room should instantly mean an off-limit house option for you.
If you do not see any noticeable issues like the ones mentioned above and you feel like you can see yourself living in the house, it is our suggestion to bring in a professional to have the home inspected prior to making an offer. The last thing you need to find after closing is cracked foundation, bowing brick, or mold.
Here at Jump Realty our agents will give you honest advice on what course of action is best for you in their professional opinion and will always put taking care of your best interests first! With offices in Windsor, Tecumseh, Kingsville, LaSalle, Harrow, Chatham, and Leamington, no matter where you are, a Jump agent is ready to help. Please contact us for any housing needs and let us give you a better real estate experience!
