Free · printable
The Home Buyer's Red-Flag Walkthrough Checklist
What to actually look for at a showing, the things that cost real money and listings never show. Print it, take it with you, and tick as you go. Links go to the full guide for anything you want to understand.
The ten second check
What else is typical in a house this age?
Tell me the year the house was built and I will tell you what else tends to be true at that age, what it costs, and what to ask. Ten seconds.
Free. No account. Educational and impartial, not a home inspection.
This is the manual version. Casaroo reads any listing and flags all of this for you: the bones (roof, heating, electrical, plumbing) and the appearance (kitchen, baths, finishes). Add a few photos from the listing and you get your read in under a minute, free.
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1 · Outside & drainage
- Does the ground slope away from the house? Any pooling at the foundation? Learn more: Negative grading & drainage toward the house
- Do downspouts extend away from the wall, not dump right beside it?
- Cracks in the foundation, walls, or cladding (brick/stucco/siding)?
- Retaining walls leaning; trees close to the foundation?
2 · Roof
- Shingles curling, bald patches, moss, or granules in the gutters? Learn more: Roof near end of life
- Sagging or wavy roofline; multiple layers of shingles?
- Thick ice ridges or icicles at the eaves in winter, or snow melting unevenly off the roof? Learn more: Ice damming
- Ask: how old is the roof, and was it ever fully replaced?
7 · Windows
- Haze or condensation between the panes, not just on the surface? Learn more: Failed window seals & sealed-unit age
- Can you read a date stamp on the metal spacer bar between the panes, or in a corner of the glass?
- Single-pane glass, or original aluminum frames that sweat or ice up in winter?
8 · Health hazards (older homes)
9 · Ask the agent
- How old are the roof, furnace, AC, water heater, and windows?
- Any insurance issues (knob-and-tube, oil tank, 60-amp, claims history)?
- What's been updated, when, and was it permitted?
- Any known issues, repairs, or past water/insect problems?
This checklist is general education to help you look, it is not a home inspection and not professional advice. It can't replace a licensed home inspection, which you should always get before you remove conditions or buy.
Rather not eyeball all this at a showing? Run the listing through Casaroo, it checks every item above and gives you your scores in under a minute. Free, no account needed.
Free listing check →