Second Impressions are important both to check for problems and for you to help set a price. The more it smells the lower the price, but sometimes you don’t want a smelly house.
Here’s a a practical checklist based on years of buying homes. Cosmetic upgrades are often used to cover up serious problems, especially in flipped homes. The goal is to recognize red flags and inspect deeper than the surface.
Home flippers and some sellers often use superficial cosmetic upgrades to hide significant issues. These changes can fool buyers at first glance, but a sharp eye can uncover what lies beneath the surface. This checklist reveals the most common tricks, how to spot them, and what to do next. I will keep more to it as I go, this is still first draft of this.
These are some of things I check. I do it naturally I don’t carry a check list, per se. I walk around an make note. I them add up how much it is going to cost to fix this. And I do the math Selling Price plus repairs. If I am still interested in buying the house, I will make an offer. If accepted I will a professional inspector go through find even more problems. I then renegotiate the price again. But the is the subject of my next post…. How to negotiate the buying price of a house.
✅ Home Inspection Red Flags Checklist
1. Fresh Paint Everywhere
- Red Flag: Used to cover stains, water damage, or smoke.
- What to Check: Look inside closets, garages, and behind shelves for hidden stains. Search for cans of Kilz or stain-blocking primer. Sometimes they leave them in closets, or kitchen and bathroom cabinets
- Pro Tip: Moisture meter can confirm past water intrusion.
2. New Flooring Over Old
- Red Flag: Especially carpet or vinyl in older homes.
- What to Check: Walk the entire area for soft spots, uneven floors, or dips.
- Pro Tip: Carpet can hide warped subfloors, termite damage, or moisture. New Carpet is a sign of issues that are cheaply covered.
3. Overuse of Caulk or Patching
- Red Flag: Excessive patchwork and fresh caulk, especially on walls or corners.
- What to Check: Press into caulked areas—if it’s tacky, it’s new. Ask what caused the original crack.
- Pro Tip: Cracks can signal foundation issues.
4. Lots of Air Fresheners
- Red Flag: Used to mask odors—pet urine, smoke, or mildew.
- What to Check: Sniff around. Remove fresheners and wait a few minutes.
- Pro Tip: Odors may return post-closing when HVAC is off or plugs are removed.
5. Staging Furniture in Key Areas
- Red Flag: Large furniture covering walls, floors, or ceilings.
- What to Check: Peek behind mirrors, pictures, couches, and rugs.
- Pro Tip: Inspect what the furniture may be hiding—like a crack or mold patch.
6. Cheap New Kitchen Cabinets
- Red Flag: Low-quality, hastily installed cabinets.
- What to Check: Look underneath for plumbing or electrical shortcuts.
- Pro Tip: Bad cabinets can hide worse infrastructure.
7. Fresh Landscaping or Thick Mulch
- Red Flag: Used to hide foundation issues, tree root damage, or termite evidence.
- What to Check: Look for freshly cut stumps, buried roots, or low grading near the foundation.
- Pro Tip: Remove mulch near the foundation and check for cracks or rot.
8. Sloppy Exterior Paint Jobs
- Red Flag: Chalking, filler over rot, or inappropriate materials used outdoors.
- What to Check: Probe wood fascia and trim with a screwdriver for softness or rot.
- Pro Tip: Rotten wood hidden by paint may cost thousands to replace.
9. New Electrical Outlets & Covers
- Red Flag: May be a disguise for old, ungrounded wiring.
- What to Check: Have an inspector test if outlets are truly grounded.
- Pro Tip: 3-prong outlets don’t guarantee safe wiring—verify with a circuit tester.
10. Attic Has Fresh Blown-In Insulation
- Red Flag: Often hides mouse droppings, bad wiring, or roof issues.
- What to Check: Move some insulation and inspect what’s underneath.
- Pro Tip: Look for junction boxes, cloth wiring, or signs of pest infestation.
11. New Sewer Line Cleanout Cap
- Red Flag: Suggests recent sewer work, often partial fixes.
- What to Check: Ask for repair records. Consider a sewer scope.
- Find out where sewage line is, and check for tree around it.
- Pro Tip: Tree roots, especially from removed trees, can crack pipes under the house.
12. Historical Google/Bing Map Inconsistencies
- Red Flag: Major landscape changes like missing trees or added structures.
- What to Check: Compare current condition to older satellite images especially roof.
- Pro Tip: Removed trees near foundations often spell plumbing or structural trouble.
13. ROOF – How Problems Are Hidden
- Spray Painting or Cleaning Shingles: Makes old shingles look new but doesn’t fix underlying wear or rot Shingles have a life span both real and perceive. For example, I bought a house with 12 years singles that are in great shape, I had several insurance companies not want to insurance house because of it. So I will probably have to replace roof way before the rood is actually failing.
- Multiple layers of shingles. Each layer is a new nail on roof, I have seen roofs with 3 layers. Really all things considered if you see multiple layers of singles on a roof I would seriously thinking there is something wrong. Perhaps roof was redone by homeowner without a permit.
- Replacing Only Visible Shingles: Patchwork repairs on the front side only, leaving the back or less visible slopes deteriorated.
- Hidden Flashing Issues: Replacing shingles without repairing or resealing flashing around chimneys or vents.
- Covering Rotting Fascia with Paint: Rotten wood at roof edges painted over or covered with vinyl trim.
- Walk around inside the house and look at the ceilings. If some ceiling have popcorn and others don’t or if the ceiling drywall has bumps or stains, then there was leak. Make sure it was repaired probebly . But heck you found it, inspector will probably see it too.
- Permits – If you redid your roof without a registered permit, your insurance company will not give you credit for it. I used to do my own roofs, can’t do it any more if I want insurance. It may also be a problem when you sell the house.
- If you are concerned, pay someone that inspects roofing, not a roofer, to check out your roof, and when you at it, check your attic ventilation. Without proper ventilation you may be get excess moisture and heat in attic that will cause your house to rot.
What to do: Inspect roof edges, look for mismatched shingles, and always check the attic for signs of leaks. Roofing is expensive so a bad roof could be deal breaker. I want at least 5 years from a roof of a house that I buy,
14. PLUMBING – How Problems Are Hidden
- Drywall Repairs or Paint to Hide Water Stains: Patches around ceilings or baseboards could hide prior leaks.
- New Fixtures on Old Pipes: Shiny new faucets on rusted or outdated plumbing systems. Go to home depot, and if you see your faucets there on the cheap aisle then you know what they did. They replaced and old faucet with a cheap one from HD.
- Bleaching/Masking Musty Smells: Mildew smell from old leaks may be temporarily masked with air fresheners.
- Fresh Caulk Around Tubs/Sinks: Often used to hide cracked grout, leaking seals, or rotted wood underneath.
- If your shower or tub are on second story which floor structure area is probably made of wood, make sure there are no issues. Otherwise you might have a tub fall down one day.
- Depending on age of house and type of construction, you have to check for leaks in the slab.
What to do: Look under sinks, around baseboards, and behind access panels. Ask about pipe material and age. Figure there will be some minor issues $500
15. ELECTRICAL – How Problems Are Hidden
- You need to know the manufacture of the main panel, the year, the total capacity and breakers install. If houses electrical panel has not been replaced in the last 20 years, you will probably have to replace it. Why because insurance company will want it, the inspector will flag it, and you will need a permit. Then the building department will want the rest of the system brought up to code. If you have aluminum wires coming into house they may to be replaced. You panel on outside will probably have to be replaced and the one inside will probably have to be replaced. This whole thing will cost you from $1500 to $5000. But I will show later how to do at no cost to you.
- Painted-Over Electrical Panels: May suggest lack of recent service or attempts to hide label dates and modifications.
- New Outlets with Old Wiring: 3-prong outlets added to ungrounded systems just for appearance.
- Loose or Decorative Fixtures: Hanging fixtures with no secure mount or wire nuts hidden behind drywall.
- Overstuffed Junction Boxes: Not visible unless inspected, but a common flipper shortcut.
What to do: Test outlets for grounding, inspect the meter and breaker panel, and ask for permits for electrical upgrades. You can also check county website for permit info.
16. HVAC – How Problems Are Hidden
- Cosmetic Cleaning of Vents and Filters: Makes it look like the system is maintained, even if it’s decades old.
- Painted or Polished Outdoor Condensers: A fresh coat of paint doesn’t equal functionality.
- Disguising Short-Cycling: Flippers might only run the system briefly, hiding signs of frequent cycling or poor performance.
- Disabling System During Showings: To mask noise, smell, or erratic performance.
- If system has a heater, test both the cooling and heating.
What to do: Check the age of the unit, thermostat function, airflow consistency, and inspect ductwork for mold or debris. I kind of write off unit right-away anyway, figure you are going to have to spend $2-3k, if not you are lucky
17. Exterior Walls – Are They Really Concrete or Stucco?
- Stucco Over Wood Frame: Makes it look like solid block construction, but can hide termite damage or rot.
- Surface Sealing to Hide Cracks: Cracks patched and painted over without addressing movement or structural issues.
- Faux Stone or Brick Veneer: Used to disguise cracks or flawed framing behind.
- Masonry Coating Used on Wood: Creates a false illusion of concrete or durability.
- Believe or Not: I know three people that bought stucco covered homes in South Florida and did not know they where buy wood framed homes. The houses had been remodeled, they look great, and only realized after they had get some work done. The house had some CBS and was listed as CBS, perhaps even the Real estate agent did not know.
- One easy way to tell is look around windows. Block homes the windows are indented more. Typically wood frame the house is on the outside of wall.
What to do: Tap walls to differentiate block vs. frame, check property records or blueprints, and look for stucco bulging or separation.
Here are things to check regarding seawalls (or the lack of them) when buying waterfront property — especially in coastal or canal-front areas like Florida, where seawalls play a critical role in protecting your home from erosion, flooding, and structural instability.
18. SEAWALLS (or the Lack of Them)
✅ If a Seawall Exists:
- Visible Cracks or Leaning
- Look for horizontal or stair-step cracks, or if the wall is bowing or leaning — signs of age or soil pressure.
- Erosion Behind the Wall (Washout)
- Check if soil behind the seawall is sinking or soft — this indicates water is breaching the wall.
- Rust Stains from Tie-Backs or Rods
- May indicate steel components are corroding, weakening the structural integrity.
- Deteriorated Cap or Missing Coping
- The top portion (cap) of the seawall should be solid and sealed. Crumbling or broken caps let water in.
- Barnacle Build-Up or Gaps at the Base
- Excessive marine growth or gaps where water meets wall could mean the wall is being undermined.
- Water Seeping Through the Wall
- During high tide or storms, any water seepage is a red flag that the wall has compromised joints.
⚠️ If No Seawall Exists:
- Shoreline Erosion
- Is the land receding? Are trees leaning toward the water? This could spell future loss of land or even the structure.
- Storm Surge Vulnerability
- Without a seawall, the property may be highly exposed to storm surge or king tides — especially in hurricane-prone zones.
- Vegetation Near the Edge
- Is vegetation used to “stabilize” the edge? Roots may slow erosion, but they don’t replace a seawall. Are they like Mangroves that are protected?
- Insurance Implications
- Some insurers may charge more or refuse coverage without proper shoreline reinforcement.
- Local Code Requirements
- In many coastal areas, seawalls are required or heavily regulated. You may be responsible for installing one if none exists. In many cases they may require you to increase the height of the seawall at even greater expense.
- Neighboring Seawalls
- If neighboring lots have seawalls, their water deflection could accelerate erosion on your lot.
- Ask for permits or engineering reports if a seawall was recently installed or repaired. Unpermitted or DIY work may not hold up — and you’ll be stuck with the bill when it fails. Truth is… repairs are just cosmetic most of the time.
🛠 BONUS TIP:
I had a Marine Construction company for many years and could write a book on this subject alone. Typical costs for seawall replacement is $1000 a liner foot. yes 1k per foot. So a 100foot wall removal of old one, permits, mitigation and replacement, all things considered about $100k.They typically last 20-25 years. After that your mileage may vary.
So if your are looking at $600k house, and the seawall is heeling, and it is going. It needs to be replaced. If it breaks, perhaps after a storm, not only is it going to be more expensive, you might also get fined.
I also had a customer who bought a beautiful piece of waterfront land, and he made the mistake of cutting down some mangroves, luckily he did not go to jail. But he was fined and never allowed to build on the land.
I bought a house without a seawall, but it had major issues. I had holes in backyard. But I knew the business. I restored edge of canal, planted coconut trees to help anchor everything and fill in problem areas. I bought the house below market because of this. I knew this was something I could repair myself without permits. Waterfront house are great but it is just another thing to worry about.
🧠 Final Tip:
“Trust but verify.” Everything might look pretty on the surface, but a good home inspector sees through the makeup. When tens of thousands are on the line, knowing what to look for can save you a fortune. BTW, you should always have a home inspector that works for you no matter how good you are at finding issues.
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