![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/open-house-min.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto: James Bombales<\/em><\/p>\n Open houses aren\u2019t all schmoozing and sandwich platters. If you\u2019re serious about buying a home, you need to know exactly what to look for in a potential property when touring it for the first time. While a bland beige paint job and dated floral window treatments are nothing to fret about, there are a number of red flags to watch out for that could end up costing you much more <\/span>than you anticipated. We interviewed three real estate professionals to find out which warning signs could be cause for concern.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo: James Bombales<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMost red flags for structural issues can actually be seen on the exterior of a home,\u201d says broker <\/span>Marianne Miles<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Chestnut Park Real Estate\u00a0Limited<\/a><\/span>. \u201cAssuming the house is brick, take the time to walk around it and look closely at the bricks. Are they straight? Are they bowing away from the house? Are there cracks that run diagonally along the mortar lines of the brick?\u201d Asking yourself these important questions can help to identify structural problems within the home. \u201cAlso check for recent brick repair work that may be masking these issues,\u201d says Miles.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s a fairly large tree that\u2019s close to the home, the roots can cause a lot of foundation issues and damage the water management system if they\u2019re penetrating the weeping tile system,\u201d says Ara Mamourian, Team Leader at <\/span>TheSpringTeam.ca<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThat can become very, very expensive to deal with so you might want to have additional inspections done around the foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo: James Bombales<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAlways look at the condition of the neighboring properties and get a sense of the owners or tenants,\u201d says Kori Marin, broker and managing partner at <\/span>Fox Marin Associates<\/span><\/a>. The neighbor\u2019s unkempt yard could diminish the value of your newly-purchased property, even if the grass is much greener on the other side. Other bad-neighbor warning signs to look out for? Rambunctious party animals, potential-meth-lab-level-shadiness, an abundance of foreclosed properties and dogs that howl well into the night.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLook for clues that work was done without a permit and not to code,\u201d says Miles. \u201cAre there missing handrails on the staircase to the basement or on the rooftop patio? Does that new bathroom reno not have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters as plugs?\u201d When purchasing a home that has undergone significant renovations, it\u2019s essential to verify that permits were taken out, the work was approved by an inspector, and that the permit itself was finalized and closed.<\/p>\n Photo: James Bombales<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA big red flag when you\u2019re walking into an open house as a buyer is if there are a lot of scented candles or plug-in fresheners,\u201d says Mamourian.<\/span>\u00a0The overpowering smell of Ocean Breeze (whatever that means), could be an indication that the homeowner is trying to \u201cmask some sort of smell,\u201d such as pet urine or cigarette smoke.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s a dehumidifier consistently going in the basement, that could be a sign of moisture that\u2019s being covered up or managed,\u201d says Mamourian. While humidity in the basement is not necessarily a deal-breaker, Mamourian says it\u2019s worth taking note of. \u201cYou can then decide how a moisture problem would affect you down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n1. Cracks in the bricks<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n2.\u00a0An imposing tree in the yard<\/b><\/h2>\n
3.\u00a0Obnoxious neighbors<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a04.\u00a0Building work completed without a permit<\/strong><\/h2>\n
5.\u00a0Scented candles galore<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n6.\u00a0An overworked dehumidifier<\/strong><\/h2>\n
7.\u00a0A shoddy party wall<\/strong><\/h2>\n