Big Red Flags When Buying a Home
If you’re thinking about relocating your family to a new home, you are probably feeling a mix of emotions. Moving can be an exciting time to start fresh, but it can also come with its share of worries and stresses. One of the biggest worries is that you might move into a home and realize that there are big, costly problems with the home (that your inspector didn’t catch).
Here are some quick and easy ways to tell if there might be an underlying issue with the home. Obviously, if you sense something might be wrong, you will need to pay an inspector (or a special service company) to investigate and confirm an issue.
Foundational
- Cracks in the driveway, foundation or sidewalks
- Drainage systems not pointing away from the house
- Yard sloping towards the house
- Standing water near the foundation
- Trees with roots close to the foundation
- Cracks in the walls
- Windows or wall corners not square
- Gaps on top of interior doors when closed
Water or Mold
- Musty smell
- Cracks around windows
- Peeling paint
- Leaking faucets, bath tubs or toilets
- Water stains on the walls
- No bathroom ventilation
- Missing tile caulk
Roof
- Ceiling stains
- Missing, cracked, curled or warped shingles
Electrical
- Lights that flicker or short-out
- Main panel condition (rusty or damaged in any way)
- Exposed wires
Plumbing
- Water stains in bathroom around plumbing
- Low water pressure
- Drains empty slowly
- Noises when you turn on the water
- Bad odor by the sink
With these tips, we hope you’ll be able to spot any big issues before your closing day. And, as always when you decide you’re ready to buy a home, don't forget your Union Plus benefits:
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The Union Plus Mortgage Program offers competitive interest rates on a wide range of mortgage options, plus special benefits including hardship assistance for union members.
- With the Union Plus Real Estate Rewards program, you could get $500 for every $100,000 in home value if you use a real estate agent approved by SIRVA.*
*To qualify for cash back rewards (in cash back states), you must use a SIRVA-referred real estate agent. Program designed as a referral service to provide you the opportunity to select a real estate agent to meet your needs. You must evaluate the brokers, agents and their services and make selections and decisions based upon your best judgment, interest, priorities and concerns. Call 800-284-9756 or visit www.up-RealEstateRewards.com for important program details and state restrictions. Union Plus makes member feedback available. Union Plus does not endorse any User Content, or any opinion, recommendation, or advice expressed herein.
SIRVA is an independent provider of services. Union Plus is not affiliated with SIRVA and does not manage SIRVA or its programs. SIRVA is paying Union Plus for advertising services including dissemination of information about SIRVA and its programs to participating unions and their members as well as participation in Union Plus events and programs. No referral, recommendation, service representation or exclusivity requirement is intended by the Union Plus's mention or dissemination of the SIRVA name and delivery of this information to participating union members.