When buying your first home, most everyone will enlist the help of a realtor.  A realtor who is experienced will be able to help you in the decision making that goes behind a home, knowing what you are getting into, the paperwork involved, and the overall status of a home.

There are some things however that are easily missed by not only your realtors but many times by the home inspector or appraiser that is looking over the home during the escrow process.

1. Bowing walls – This may be the biggest hidden problem in a home.  When a home has had moisture intrusion inside a wall, it is not always evident from the outside – without looking very closely.  If you look along the side of a wall carefully, you will be able to tell if there is a bow in the wall, this can be a tell-tale of a mold or water damage problem on the inside of that wall.
2. Musty odor – Many times a home is shut completely down during the home buying process, it is not uncommon for a home or room to smell stale because of this.  However that is vastly different than a mildew or musty smell that are indicators of an air contamination or mold problem.
3. Bathroom or Basement with poor or no ventilation – These types of rooms can be a breeding ground for mold very quickly and easily, so the best thing to do is check this room over thoroughly and assess any way that moisture could build up within the room.
4. Recent drywall or paint in one room – If you find that just one room has recently been painted or drywall has been put in, you may consider looking further in-depth to the home’s history, as this is a common way for owners to attempt at hiding a past issue of water damage.

All of these are very commonly overlooked as either part of the home buying process or something that simply is not seen until much farther down the road after having lived there for quite some time.  In either case, it is best to watch very carefully as you are looking through a home to make sure you don’t get stuck with a headache to deal with!

If you find any of these to be true, getting a mold inspection or indoor air quality testing is recommended to make sure the home your buying is clean and healthy for that move-in date!