Are you considering buying a home, or at least kicking the tires, in anticipation of next spring's buying season?
A new report warns about some sneaky home seller tricks you should watch out for.
Home buyers love clean, well-maintained homes. Sellers know that too, and do everything they can to make their home show well.
But a new report by GoBanking rates.com says you need to watch for some of the top tricks sellers use to get you to buy.
Among them:
• The smell of freshly baked cookies or potpourri, which can hide mold smells.
• A fresh coat of paint on lower level walls or especially ceilings: It can be used to hide water damage. If you smell fresh paint, investigate.
• A sense of urgency to buy, telling you someone else is about to make an offer.
• Faking the age of appliances by using a marker to write a more recent date on a water heater or furnace.
Downplaying cost of needed repairs
And from the "doesn't that stink" file, the biggest home seller trick: downplaying the cost of repairs.
Sellers may say they priced a new roof or repair to the patio. But if they are off by thousands of dollars you'll say, "Doesn't that stink?"
Never take the seller's word for needed repairs: Get your own estimate.
A good home inspector can spot all the tricks.
Just make sure to hire an inspector who you choose and who will work for you, not the seller. That way you don't waste your money.
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