When you are in a position to buy a house, you are going to go through a lot to make sure that this is the right house, with the best mortgage deal and the best brokers to help you to get that deal. It’s a big thing to buy, a house, and not just because of its size. Buying a house has the potential to set you up for life, but it’s only going to be that way if you have taken note of the warning signs. 

Right now, the demand for housing is very high. This makes the cost of the houses available shoot through the roof and the availability of mortgages more sparse. You can use a good mortgage calculator to help you to work out what you can afford, but it’s always a good idea to speak to a qualified broker who can help you through the mortgage buying process. When you are in the trenches inspecting houses and buying property, one of the best things that you can do is learn the signs to be wary of before you go. Below, we’ve got 10 of those signs that you need to know. Let’s take a look!

1. Exterior cracks. If you have noticed any cracks in the foundation of the house you’re looking at, then you need to pay attention. The inside could be beautifully packaged and varnished with the best paint job and layout. However, if you have noticed cracks or tilts in the exterior of the house, you’re going to be paying for it! Foundation issues can cost a lot of money and it can take time to get your new home fixed up properly. There’s no use in spending the money on a new place to live if you’re going to end up spending even more money trying to salvage it. 
2. Consider the history. Every house that’s been lived in before has a history that you must pay attention to. You need to look into the history of the house, especially if there are more than one or two buyers in the past 20 years. The average length of a home ownership is between 10-15 years, especially when a larger house is the concern. The good news is that you can check the previous owner’s history and figure out how many of them there used to be. Multiple owners in a short period is not a good sign, particularly if there is previous foundation damage.
3. Check for leaks. Water damage is very much something that will keep coming back to haunt you as a homeowner. If you do a proper inspection of the property, you’re going to be more likely to notice that paint has trapped moisture in the walls, which are further degrading over time. If you look at the places under the sink, the base of the tubs and toilets, and you look at sheetrock under window sills, you’ll notice if there are weaknesses and if there is warping. Black mold is especially bad for you and you need to take notice of it as early as possible. 
4. The floor is uneven. You don’t want to inspect a house and then go and find the floors are bending under your weight. It’s important that you check this in every room and test to see how the floors sit. You can easily do this by bringing a marble with you to an inspection and see whether the floors hold up, or if the marble rolls. It’s a good test to do in an older house, especially, as you’ll be able to ask questions about it.
5. Pay attention to air fresheners. Your new house has to be as you need it to be, which means that if you notice a smell of potpourri or air freshener, you’re going to need to check whether it’s just as a welcoming gift, or if the owner is covering a smell elsewhere, such as a leaky pipe or a sewage issue. It may not seem a concern, but it’s vital that you check! 

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6. Think about the music. Is there music playing through the house you’re currently inspecting? If so, then you should think about whether the music is there to mask noise from outside or from inside the house such as rattling pipes. 
7. Hidden areas. When you’re going for an inspection in the house, are you being told not to enter certain rooms or storage areas? If so, this is something that should wave a red flag for you. You should be allowed access to every area of the house, and your listing agent should let you see and inspect it all. This is a big sign to be aware of if they won’t – what are they hiding?
8. Inspection waivers. Has your seller asked you to skip the inspection side of the deal? If so, run! This is not okay and it doesn’t get you what you need for your new home. In fact, it’s a good way to prove that there is something wrong with the house in the first place. You need to know that the house you’re buying is a secure one, and that means making sure that even if you can’t attend the inspection yourself, you’re sending someone else to do it on your behalf.
9. You don’t get given a working report. You should always ask to see the residential building records of a home you’ve been looking to buy from. If the seller says that there are new things added then it should all have been properly listed. It’s a good way to be thorough and know that you have the right building regulations taken care of.
10. Painted hedges. No, really. Some sellers give their hedges and plants a spritz of spray paint to make them look more vibrant and bright. This is a good way to sell if you’re the seller, but not if you’re the buyer. If they take a shortcut with the color of the outside plants, what other shortcuts are they taking?