10 Red Flags to Watch for When Touring a Home

By Mark Callender

Hello, my name is Mark Callender and I am a licensed real estate agent with RE/MAX Results. Because I have been helping families buy and sell their homes for more than 18 years, I am now helping their children to buy their first homes and their parents to downsize. No matter the direction you’re moving, my goal is to make the process as calm and enjoyable as it can be.

Whether you’re touring a home with your agent or wandering through an open house on your own, knowing what to look for can save you a lot of money and heartache. Before you buy, here are the top 10 red flags we watch for when we walk clients through a property, so you can catch trouble before it becomes your problem. For more on getting ready to buy, start with the questions to ask before buying.

1. Fresh paint in odd spots. If you walk in and notice splotchy white paint on the ceilings that doesn’t match the rest, pay attention. Fresh paint in an unusual place is often covering up a stain or a problem someone would rather you didn’t see.

2. Damp or musty smells. A damp or musty odor, usually drifting up from the basement, is worth investigating. It often points to moisture or water intrusion, which you’ll want to understand before you make an offer.

3. Sticking doors and windows. At an open house, don’t hesitate to open the doors and windows and try them yourself. We do it every time we bring clients through. If windows are painted or locked shut, or doors are really hard to open and close, that can be a sign that a home has settled more than it should.

4. Cracks above the door frames. Here in Minnesota, homes shift a little as frost moves in and out of the ground through the seasons, so some settling is normal, and hairline cracks are common in our region. But if you see a crack that looks too large, wide enough to fit your pinky finger into, that’s not normal and deserves a closer look.

5. Stained or sagging ceilings. A stained or sagging ceiling almost always means water damage. Track down where it’s coming from, because an active leak can point to roof, plumbing, or flashing issues.

6. Basement water and the sump pump. Look for water stains in the basement. If there’s a sump pump and it’s running constantly while you’re there, or you can see standing water sitting in the sump, those are things to watch out for.

7. Sloping floors. You’ll usually notice these in older homes that have settled over the decades, since builders didn’t have the tools to keep everything perfectly level. We see it most in homes from the 1800s, old farmhouses, and historical properties.

8. Do-it-yourself electrical work. You can often spot amateur electrical work in the basement, with odd wires running to random places. Take a peek in the electrical panel and see if any circuit breakers are missing. Sloppy wiring is both a safety issue and a common home-buying headache you’d rather catch early.

9. Overpowering air fresheners. If you walk in and get hit with a really overbearing scent, ask yourself what it might be covering. Sometimes a strong air freshener is there to mask that musty or damp smell from red flag number two.

10. The neighbors’ homes. Take a good look at the properties next door. Overgrown shrubs, weeds, a lawn that hasn’t been mowed in a month, or cars sitting in a driveway that never move, unlicensed or without current tabs, all tell you something. Your neighbors can absolutely affect your home’s value and your future resale.

Those are the top 10 red flags to watch for, whether we’re walking you through a home or you’re exploring an open house on your own. None of these automatically means you should walk away, but they’re exactly the things you’ll want a professional inspection to dig into. If you’re getting ready to buy in the Twin Cities and want a sharp set of eyes on your side, reach out. Call or text us at 612-961-9448, email us at mark@markcallenderhomes.com, or visit callenderhometeam.results.net, and we’ll help you find a home you can feel good about.