First Home Facts

2 Things To Look For To Avoid Buying A Damaged Home

One of the hardest parts about buying a home is determining if the house is going to have hidden damage that either the current owners are unaware of or are actively trying to hide. Sure, an inspector can help you identify some damage, but there are a few things to look for that can help you identify potential damage before you even hire an inspector, such as the two listed below.

Cracked Or Uneven Frames

One of the first things to look for when you are considering a new home is the window and door frames in order to see if they are uneven or cracked. The reason for this is that uneven or cracked window and door frames can often be a sign that the house is settling, which can also mean that the house may have foundation issues due to the movement.

Another reason to be concerned about uneven or cracked frames is that even if the house is done settling, there may still be security issues. For example, doors and windows installed in uneven frames may not be able to close properly or far enough to actually lock them without applying a lot of force. This can lead to situations where your home is open to intruders despite the fact that you and your family thought that the doors or windows were completely shut and locked.

Lack Of Paint Consistency

Another thing to look for as you tour a house is the consistency of the paint. The reason for this that individuals tend to paint rooms in their entirety when they repaint a room. This means that if there are any signs of only one piece of a wall being repainted recently, then it could have been done to hide damage to that portion of the wall, usually from water damage.

It is not uncommon for people to hide the water damage rather than perform proper repairs when they are planning on selling their homes. In addition, if a section of the wall does appear to have darker paint than the rest of the wall, it could be a sign of recent water damage that the current owner may not even be aware of or gotten around to fixing yet. This is because moisture in the wall can make the wall appear darker than dry sections of the wall.

Contact a real estate agent today in order to start touring prospective homes to buy. When touring a new home that you are considering purchasing, make sure to check for cracked or uneven door and window frames in addition to a lack of consistency in the paint throughout the home in order to identify potentially severe or extensive damage to the home.


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