{"id":5333,"date":"2016-05-20T23:31:53","date_gmt":"2016-05-20T23:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/?p=5333"},"modified":"2016-05-20T23:31:53","modified_gmt":"2016-05-20T23:31:53","slug":"ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"House Hunting Red Flags"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5341 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg\" alt=\"Red-Falgs_banner\" width=\"600\" height=\"125\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/basics\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-home-search\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-5393 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Search_thumb_22.jpg\" alt=\"Search_thumb_2\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a>There are several red flags when you&#8217;re searching for homes that an unseasoned buyer wouldn&#8217;t know to look out for. Don&#8217;t be dazzled by a gorgeous outdoor space and finished basement. Be a scrupulous buyer and don&#8217;t let these indicators of potentially serious issues fly under the radar.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Smells &#8211;<\/b> Any strange odors in a home can be indicative of much larger problems. Mildew, mold, pets\u2014these can leave musty odors from damaging the house. Be sure to sniff around closets and basements for any odd smells.<\/li>\n<li><b>Recent Renovations &#8211;<\/b> If it\u2019s obvious that renovations have been done recently, ask about them. Were they by a licensed contractor? What was fixed? A fresh coat of paint in a single area could be a quick aesthetic fix to cover up a bigger issue.<\/li>\n<li><b>Other Properties on the Market &#8211;<\/b> Are there several homes for sale within a close radius? That could be indicative of a problem in the neighborhood. Do some research on the neighborhood to see what might be the issue.<\/li>\n<li><b>Fogged Windows &#8211;<\/b> Moisture trapped between double-paned glass could mean the windows were installed incorrectly.<\/li>\n<li><b>Exterior Maintenance &#8211;<\/b> Look at the roof, the gutters, the shrubs, and the lawn for any signs of poor maintenance. If the owners didn\u2019t properly clean gutters or maintain the roof, that could indicate other parts of the home are in disrepair.<\/li>\n<li><b>Pests &#8211;<\/b> This one is a no-brainer, but keep an eye out for any bugs.<\/li>\n<li><b>Exposed Wiring &#8211;<\/b> A dangerous, and obvious, problem to look out for.<\/li>\n<li><b>Closed Rooms &#8211;<\/b> If for any reason, you\u2019re not allowed to enter a part of the property, that\u2019s a glaring red flag. There&#8217;s not excuse (including privacy) to block off any part of a home that&#8217;s for sale to buyers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-spacing: 5px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/basics\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-questions-property-tours\"><span style=\"text-align: left; font-size: 11pt;\">&lt;&lt; PREVIOUS CHAPTER: Questions to Ask at Property Tours<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/basics\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-real-estate-scams\"><span style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 11pt;\">NEXT CHAPTER: Avoid Real Estate Scams &gt;&gt;<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/basics\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5426 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Hombeuyers-Guide_button.jpg\" alt=\"Hombeuyers-Guide_button\" width=\"334\" height=\"48\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are several red flags when you&#8217;re searching for homes that an unseasoned buyer wouldn&#8217;t know to look out for. Don&#8217;t be dazzled by a gorgeous outdoor space and finished basement. Be a scrupulous buyer and don&#8217;t let these indicators of potentially serious issues fly under the radar. Smells &#8211; Any strange odors in a home can be indicative of much larger problems. Mildew, mold, pets\u2014these can leave musty odors from damaging the house. Be sure to sniff around closets and basements for any odd smells. Recent Renovations &#8211; If it\u2019s obvious that renovations have been done recently, ask about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[167,260],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-basics","category-buyer","post--single"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>House Hunting Red Flags<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"House Hunting Red Flags\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are several red flags when you&#8217;re searching for homes that an unseasoned buyer wouldn&#8217;t know to look out for. Don&#8217;t be dazzled by a gorgeous outdoor space and finished basement. Be a scrupulous buyer and don&#8217;t let these indicators of potentially serious issues fly under the radar. Smells &#8211; Any strange odors in a home can be indicative of much larger problems. Mildew, mold, pets\u2014these can leave musty odors from damaging the house. Be sure to sniff around closets and basements for any odd smells. Recent Renovations &#8211; If it\u2019s obvious that renovations have been done recently, ask about [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Movoto Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MovotoRealEstate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-05-20T23:31:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Movoto Editorial Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@movoto\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@movoto\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Movoto Editorial Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Movoto Editorial Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06693b6bfbd6fec38952da620bd47c0e\"},\"headline\":\"House Hunting Red Flags\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-20T23:31:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\"},\"wordCount\":327,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Basics\",\"Buyer\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\",\"name\":\"House Hunting Red Flags\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-20T23:31:53+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"House Hunting Red Flags\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Movoto Blog\",\"description\":\"Jump-start your real estate journey with expert guidance\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Movoto by OJO\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/movoto-by-ojo-blog.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/movoto-by-ojo-blog.png\",\"width\":220,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"Movoto by OJO\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MovotoRealEstate\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/movoto\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/movotorealestate\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/movoto\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/movoto\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/movotorealestate\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06693b6bfbd6fec38952da620bd47c0e\",\"name\":\"Movoto Editorial Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f61431c9d28f042e0ef7d955ee3844a375bfe80a21e14f5f20e2045633240dd4?s=96&d=monsterid&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f61431c9d28f042e0ef7d955ee3844a375bfe80a21e14f5f20e2045633240dd4?s=96&d=monsterid&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Movoto Editorial Team\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/author\/revans\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"House Hunting Red Flags","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"House Hunting Red Flags","og_description":"There are several red flags when you&#8217;re searching for homes that an unseasoned buyer wouldn&#8217;t know to look out for. Don&#8217;t be dazzled by a gorgeous outdoor space and finished basement. Be a scrupulous buyer and don&#8217;t let these indicators of potentially serious issues fly under the radar. Smells &#8211; Any strange odors in a home can be indicative of much larger problems. Mildew, mold, pets\u2014these can leave musty odors from damaging the house. Be sure to sniff around closets and basements for any odd smells. Recent Renovations &#8211; If it\u2019s obvious that renovations have been done recently, ask about [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/","og_site_name":"Movoto Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MovotoRealEstate\/","article_published_time":"2016-05-20T23:31:53+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Movoto Editorial Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@movoto","twitter_site":"@movoto","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Movoto Editorial Team","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/"},"author":{"name":"Movoto Editorial Team","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06693b6bfbd6fec38952da620bd47c0e"},"headline":"House Hunting Red Flags","datePublished":"2016-05-20T23:31:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/"},"wordCount":327,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg","articleSection":["Basics","Buyer"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/","url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/","name":"House Hunting Red Flags","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg","datePublished":"2016-05-20T23:31:53+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/foundation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Red-Falgs_banner.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/ultimate-homebuyers-guide-red-flags\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"House Hunting Red Flags"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/","name":"Movoto Blog","description":"Jump-start your real estate journey with expert guidance","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Movoto by OJO","url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/movoto-by-ojo-blog.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/movoto-by-ojo-blog.png","width":220,"height":100,"caption":"Movoto by OJO"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MovotoRealEstate\/","https:\/\/x.com\/movoto","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/movotorealestate\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/movoto","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/movoto\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/movotorealestate"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/06693b6bfbd6fec38952da620bd47c0e","name":"Movoto Editorial Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f61431c9d28f042e0ef7d955ee3844a375bfe80a21e14f5f20e2045633240dd4?s=96&d=monsterid&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f61431c9d28f042e0ef7d955ee3844a375bfe80a21e14f5f20e2045633240dd4?s=96&d=monsterid&r=g","caption":"Movoto Editorial Team"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/author\/revans\/"}]}},"featured_media_src_url":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5333\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}