4 Red Flags to Look Out for During an Open House

It’s easy to get blinded by a well-staged home when visiting an open house and end up overlooking major issues until it’s too late. Avoid falling into this trap by keeping your eyes open for these four red flags when attending an open house.

1. Foundation Problems

Issues with a home’s foundation can mean expensive and difficult structural repairs. Small cracks in a foundation are normal, but large cracks can signal a big problem with the foundation. Keep an eye out for stuck doors or windows, uneven floors and cracks above the windows.

2. Deferred Maintenance Issues

Look out for signs that the current owner has ignored the need to perform basic home maintenance such as leaky faucets and chipped paint. These minor issues can signal that more important maintenance tasks were also neglected.

3. Signs of Mold

Mold is both expensive to remedy and potentially dangerous to your family’s health, so it’s important to be aware of the signs that a house may have a mold issue. Take a look around the water pipes under the bathroom and kitchen sinks; even small gray or black spots can point to a serious mold problem.

4. Too Much Air Freshener

Have you ever walked into an open house and been hit with the overwhelming smell of air freshener and scented candles? Be wary of overly scented homes; the owner could be trying to disguise unpleasant smells like smoke, pet odors or mildew.

Looking to purchase your next (or first!) home? Contact Midland Mortgage  to speak with one of our home buying experts today and learn more about your home buying options.

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