What to Look for When Buying a Home

St. Louis Real Estate Podcast with Sandie Hea

Today I wanted to spend some time on what to look for when buying a home.

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There are a lot of rehabs, also known as flips, in our market and although everything looks beautiful, you have to be careful about what you see on the outside of the house. I think it’s really important that you look at not just how beautiful a home is, but also at the critical components of the house.

You want to know how old the HVAC and the roof are because you don’t want to empty your pocketbook the first year that you live there. Knowing the life expectancy of those items and how old they are is important.

Walk around the exterior of the home and look for damage, cracks, offset bricks, or rotted columns on the front porch. These are all signs of neglect, so even if the house looks beautiful on the inside, a poorly-maintained exterior is a red flag.

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Not maintaining the outside of the home is a red flag.

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Open windows and doors to make sure they do so smoothly and check for tight seals on the windows. If any of the doors don’t close properly, check the top of the frame. If the doors are rubbing there, it could mean that the house is settling.

There are lots of ways to protect yourself before you spend money on inspections, like by looking for red flags that should be obvious to you and your agent. Work with an agent who has the experience of many sales and knows what to look for, because they don’t teach us that in real estate class.

If you have any other questions or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!