5 Red Flags Home Buyers Miss in a Showing (But We Don't!): Why an Inspector Sees More
A home showing is a beautiful, curated moment. You walk in, the light is perfect, the air is scented, and you’re focused on the granite countertops and the open-concept layout. As a homebuyer, you're dreaming.
As Foundation First Home Inspections, we’re focused on a different reality: the structure, the systems, and the safety hidden beneath the surface. We are trained to spot the subtle, non-cosmetic clues that a seller might unintentionally (or intentionally) overlook.
Here are five red flags that often go unnoticed during a 30-minute showing, but stand out to your Illinois State Licensed Home Inspector.
1. The Masking Scent: More Than Just Candles
What a Buyer Notices
A lovely, welcoming scent from air fresheners, plug-ins, or candles. "They must love aromatherapy!"
What a Licensed Inspector Sees
A potential cover-up for musty odors, mold, or sewage issues.
A musty or damp smell is the hallmark of a chronic moisture problem in a basement, crawl space, or poorly ventilated area. Strong artificial scents often indicate the seller is trying to mask this underlying issue. We look past the scent and head straight for the low, dark, and damp spots—the places where mold thrives and where a persistent odor signals a costly water intrusion problem.
2. The Fresh, Flawless Paint Job (in Odd Spots)
What a Buyer Notices
"Wow, they just painted! That’s one less thing I have to do."
What a Licensed Inspector Sees
A possible attempt to conceal water damage or wall cracks.
A fresh coat of paint in a main living room is common. A fresh coat of paint on just the ceiling corners, low on the basement walls, or on the foundation exterior is a major red flag. Sellers sometimes paint over water stains on ceilings or walls to hide evidence of a leaky roof, window flashing failure, or past basement flooding. We look for differences in texture, subtle discoloration, and bubbling paint, which often indicate the moisture is still there, just hidden.
3. The Sticky Door or Window
What a Buyer Notices
"Hmm, this door is just old and a little finicky."
What a Licensed Inspector Sees
A clear sign of structural shifting or foundation movement.
Doors and windows are set into a perfectly rectangular or square frame. If a door or window suddenly sticks, refuses to latch, or has a noticeable gap at the top corner, it is not always a simple hinge issue. This is a common and often overlooked indication that the home’s foundation is shifting. If the foundation moves, the house frame moves, and the door and window openings become warped. We look for these tell-tale signs along with wall cracks and sloping floors to determine if there is a serious structural concern.
4. The Gritty Gutter Debris
What a Buyer Notices
Maybe a quick glance at the yard—are the bushes trimmed?
What a Licensed Inspector Sees
Evidence of premature roof deterioration.
During the exterior inspection, we always check the gutters and the ground around the downspouts. If we see an excessive amount of asphalt granules that look like coarse black sand, it means your asphalt shingles are losing their protective top layer. This is a sign that the roof is either very old or deteriorating rapidly from hail damage or sun exposure. A roof replacement is one of the most costly repairs, and seeing those granules is our early warning signal that the roof clock is ticking fast.
5. The Mix-and-Match Electrical Panel
What a Buyer Notices
They don't look at the electrical panel at all (it’s usually tucked away in a closet or basement).
What a Licensed Inspector Sees
Amateur or unsafe wiring and potential fire hazards.
We open the main electrical panel (the breaker box). If we see a panel that has breakers from different manufacturers or wires doubled up on a single breaker (called "double taps"), it suggests DIY electrical work that may not meet current safety codes. We are also specifically trained to identify known hazardous panels, like old Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok boxes, which are notorious for failing to trip and creating a fire risk. This is a critical safety issue that needs immediate professional.