We would all like to think that when it comes to purchasing a new home it is as simple as searching through listings, setting up a tour, falling in love with a property, placing an offer and receiving keys, unfortunately, this is not always the case. While every home is different, and in some cases, you may be looking for a fixer upper, there are a few red flags when it comes to house shopping that you should definitely pay attention to.
Related: What to Look for When Buying a Desert Home
Neighborhood
It’s no secret that sellers will generally try to up their curb appeal prior to listing their home. While there is nothing wrong with giving the yard a nice facelift, make sure to pay attention to the surrounding homes and neighborhoods. If all the other yards are run down or not visually appealing, regardless of the current state of the listed house, you may not want to call that neighborhood home.
Related: How to Landscape your Desert Home
Foggy Windows
This is a huge red flag when it comes to purchasing a home. Whether it is windows or a sliding glass door, foggy or clouded windows show signs of a broken seal which can lead to trapped moisture and mold. In order to fix this problem, you will generally have to replace the effected windows/doors and could easily be looking at repairs in the 10’s of thousands.
Foundation Problems
Regardless of a low list price, a foundation problem is very rarely worth purchasing. This can cause problems throughout the whole house, and in some more serious cases can even cause you to do a full demolition and re-build.
Smells
If you don’t have a fresh baked cookie smell when you tour a home, that’s ok. However, if you have a less than pleasing smell within or around the home, make sure to ask where the smell may be derived from and do some research. If there’s a water leak, mold, busted pipe, pet damage etc. these could all be serious issues that will cause costly repairs down the line.
Related: 4 Things Your Real Estate Agent Needs
Old Electrical
Electrical is one thing you always want to ensure is updated and in proper working order prior to purchasing a home. If the electrical is more than 5 years old, request service/repair receipts. If there is bad wiring, electrical components that don’t seem to be working, etc. that is a huge red flag and the electrical should be inspected thoroughly before moving forward with a purchase.
Price Drop
Has the listed price recently dropped by more than 10k? Ask why. In some cases, this could be as simple as the seller’s agent listing the home too high in the beginning, however, this could also be due to a previous inspection or appraisal finding some sort of damage or needed repair that changes the home’s value.
As with any real estate purchase you should always make sure to do your due diligence and have a great buyer’s agent by your side to assist you in any and every way you may need.
If you are currently searching for a new home, are interested in listing your home, or have any questions regarding the real estate within the Palm Springs/Desert areas, please feel free to contact our office at any time.