When you walk into a home, what do you see? Typically, you can see the walls, the ceiling, a few appliances, but that is about it. You may also be able notice some evident defects, like cracks in the walls, some mold on the bathroom ceiling and maybe some old window frames. However, there are a lot of elements of a home you can’t see – things behind the walls, above the ceiling and under the floorboards. When you are looking for a home to purchase, you have to take all of these hidden areas into account, because you could wind up wasting your money. Here are five ways to spot hidden home problems before you buy.
The plumbing. Before you purchase a home, you want to make sure that you inspect all the plumbing. First of all, you could ask the seller what kind of plumbing the house has. If the house has older plumbing – you have found your first problem. Typically, older plumbing has to be completely updated. Also, you want to keep your eye out for leaks and other damage underneath sinks or where major plumbing arteries are housed.- Toxic mold. When it comes to having cleaner indoor air, you want to make sure there is no mold. If you are looking for a new home, you want to make sure the property doesn’t have any hidden mold problems. Some mold – especially green or grey mold – can easily be removed. However, black mold oftentimes takes a special remediation process. Black mold can be toxic and it can damage your respiratory system, so you want to make sure you have the walls inspected.
- Foundation damage. Some foundation damage is easy to detect – holes and cracks in the foundation wall – but some damage can be more difficult to detect. For instance, if you can take a special leveling tool and lay it on the ground, you can see if your potential home is tilting by a few degrees – or even less. If it is, you may have to have your foundation reinforced or updated, which could be incredibly costly. If your foundation is showing signs of damage, it could get worse – a lot worse – if you don’t anything about it.
- Doorframe and window frame issues. When it comes down to it, some older homes have poorly sealed windows and doors. This is only a problem is you can feel a significant amount of air escaping from the frame of the door or window. Also, you want to make sure that doors and windows close all the way. If the window frame or doorframe is particularly old, they may need to be replaced.
Roof caving. A roof may look fine upon close inspection, but it could actually be more damaged than you think. So, you want to make sure that you have the roof inspected thoroughly. The last thing you want is for the roof to cave in – all because you didn’t take the time to have it inspected.
