Unseen Things To Look For When You Are Buying a Home

Spending your weekends touring new homes?

Make sure you’re keeping abreast of unseen things when you are buying a home in Virginia.

In other words, don’t just look at where you are going to put your large screen TV or which rooms the kids will have, or what name band kitchen appliances are in the vast kitchen. Look at all things from the color the owners have painted the front door to the bathrooms that may or may not have hidden mold.

Sure, the homes you’ve been touring might look good on the surface with clean floors and staged furnishings and accessories, but if you’re not observant, you may be missing some vital facts about the home.

Here are some unseen things to look out for when you are buying a home in Virginia.

Smells too Good to be True

Does the home smell like roses? Fresh-baked bread or tons of air freshener? Don’t be fooled by strong scents as they might be trying to cover unpleasant odors or be hiding something more serious.

Smell each room you go into from bathrooms to rec rooms and outside as well. Try and observe ceilings, and look at floors and sniff for pet markings, mildew, mold, or smoke, well before telling the agent you’re in love with the home and want it.

Bad Tiles

Check out tiles in kitchens and bathrooms for bad grout, cracks, mildew, and mold. Are there are some fast DIY repairs the sellers did and they could be done hastily and wrong. Meaning you might have to hire professionals to fix it, and this could be costly.

Foundation Flubs

Check the floors and see if they are uneven which could indicate the foundation is sinking and could lead to more costly repairs.

Overall Maintenance

Look to see in general how the home has been taken care of by the owner – things like missing lightbulbs, unmoved grass, leaky faucets, or bad paint jobs. If an owner is lax in these areas there may be underlying repairs and general maintenance they haven't done for years.

A good homeowner replaces air filters, cleans the chimney, keeps an eye on roof leaks, and will repair gaps with caulk on windows and doors.

Water Features

While a lake, river, or a nearby water feature be a boon, what happens if it overflows when it rains or there’s a storm.

Make sure these do not flood in the future, ask the owner or your agent to find out more info from the city, etc.

Check Windows

Look beyond the window treatments for bad window frames like warped wood, and make sure they slide easily. If they stick, it might indicate foundation issues, or they were installed poorly and may need replacing.

Look for Mold

Don’t be afraid to open bathroom and sink cabinetry and cabinets to inspect around water pipes or drains for indication of mold. Also, check for black or gray areas which could mean serious issues are there and could be even more trouble. Also inspect the caulking around faucets and tubs for similar black spots, as well as the ceiling.

Water Damages

Strong musty odors might mean earlier water damage, even if there isn’t any visible standing water. Look at walls and ceilings for watermarks that could mean a leak or a burst pipe that may have resulted in internal damage at one point. See if there is exposed piping in basements or laundry rooms and look for unsightly rust marking and/or water stains left behind.

Bad Ventilation

Keep in mind moisture can create a mold so keep an eye out for condensation on windows or peeling paint around windows, doors, or vents as moisture may be hiding in walls and ceiling drywall.

New Paint

Sure, not everyone is a professional painter, but do note if the home appears to not be renovated for years and if you see a fresh paint spot on ceilings or walls. This may be to cover up and hide something behind. It could be the owner had termites or carpenter ants that left behind damage. If you notice any of these paint cover-ups, don’t be afraid to ask why there appears to be new paint in the area, section, etc.

Check the Roof

Inquire as to when the roof was installed and say you want to see the warranty as some older homes may have several layers of roofing and even asbestos. Yes, it will be difficult for a non-professional in the roofing business to know about the roof just by looking at it, so ask questions or follow up with an expert who can offer an opinion on these things.

Trees

While towering trees are beautiful they could bring risks, like falling during a storm or filling gutters with leaves, or roots getting into the basement or having an infestation of bugs. Removing large trees after a move-in can be expensive.

Follow-up

If you’ve decided you love the home, go ahead, and check on building violations and permits. It’s OK to investigate for any open violations or permit issues that the home may have. To do this enquire at local building departments, fire departments, and ask your agent to make sure the building of the home is on par with permits and is in the clear.

Make sure, all work that has been performed in the house was filed with the local buildings department within the city and not just done as a DIY project, too.

Do ask the sellers if all the permitting is in order; but if you’re still curious about any work go ahead and see if a title company can follow up with due diligence.

Overall, when looking at homes in your search for the perfect one you should be aware of unseen things to look for when you are buying a home in Virginia.

Always, go with your gut and if you do love it, it’s OK to take a tour of the home more than once as you might see things differently the second and third time around.

Be alert, be prepared, and don’t be afraid to look beyond and behind the usual walls, cabinets, appliances, or under rugs, and the furniture.

Doing all these things above might just save you from being sorry in the future should you decide on the home.

There could be things that were lurking that you never thought of in the initial tour and before signing on the dotted line.

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