When it comes to house buying, you never know what you are getting into, but it is better to at least have an idea of what you are looking at before you start getting serious about any one property in particular.  A definite must, before you make the final decision and sign the papers, is to get a professional home inspection. Yes, you have to pay for inspections, but the $200-$500 that you pay for an inspection can literally save you from $1000s of dollars of unforeseen repairs.  And remember the inspection is for your eyes only; sellers and banks don’t need to know what that report says.

It’s unrealistic to get a professional inspection for every house you tour, so wait till you are serious about a particular property and then hire the professional.  When the house hunting is just getting started you can do your own inspection. You just need to know the things to watch for. 

One clue that all is not in perfect order is if you see signs of second-rate maintenance.  Check the gutters to be sure they are clean and in good shape? Does the roof look patched instead of replaced? Duct tape is not a real remedy, but is often an affordable option for homeowners that are unable to keep up with routine maintenance.  All of these are signs that perhaps there bigger problems inside the house.

Another sign that something is foul would be the presence of unexplainable scents and odors.  Is there an odor inside or outside? Whether you smell something strange or unpleasant or an over kill of scented candles and potpourri, there could be some concern here. Poor drainage, full septic tanks and rodent infestations lend themselves to smelly foul and if the odor you detect doesn’t seem related to the person themselves, you can be sure that the house has a hidden issue somewhere. 

Sure signs that the owner is selling you a money pit also include things like one wall in a room that has fresh paint probably suffers from mold or discoloration from some sort of water damage; foggy double-paned windows indicates that there is probably water in-between the panes; or light switches that don’t actually do anything are often a sign of faulty wiring that while you think just affects the outlets, but will actually often involve drywall removal and rewiring for a whole room. 

Updated and renovated properties are great, but there are some serious questions to ask of the previous owners.  Did the previous owner have it renovated? Did the homeowner do the work themselves? If they removed the structural walls or floors and didn’t adjust the framing, the weight will shift to other parts of the house and could cause damage.

Don’t forget too that your inspection of the property should start from the moment you enter the neighborhood and especially when you start driving down the street.  Look around at the neighbors. Drive through the neighborhood, if you see a large number of for sale signs, this could be a sign of a mass exit from the area and you should definitely be asking why. 

As you pull into or up to the property take a close look and see if the yard slopes toward the house or away from it.  When a yard is sloping in the direction of the house’s foundation, water can run down the foundation walls or into the basement causing major repair costs. As you walk around the outside of the house, if you notice any bulges or cracks one-third of an inch or bigger, the house could have serious structural issues.

Professional home inspections should always be performed before you actually buy a home, but when you are still doing the shopping, you should practice due diligence and perform you own property inspections as well.  Now that you know what to look for, shop away!