House hunters, be wary: 7 seemingly small flaws may point to a money pit

Regular people — that is, those who don't know anything about construction or inspections — can spot a potential money pit the first time they tour a house. If they're savvy shoppers, they can avoid heartache of falling in love with a house only to have to dive into endless and expensive projects.

Realty agents, a home inspector and a contractor shared what buyers should look for to  identify dire flaws.

Doors that don't close properly. This — or a crack in the foundation or uneven steps leading into the home — can signal that the home has settled, and you have an uneven foundation, said Joe Taylor, contractor and owner of Chicago-based Taylor Construction. Most commonly, foundation problems can allow water to easily enter the home, leading to water damage. But an uneven foundation also could mean that the house will need to have concrete pumped into the slab (officially called concrete leveling or mudjacking) to bring the home back up to level and fix the water issues. Pipes also may need to be repaired, along with anything else that is altered during the settling or movement. A cracked foundation could lead to damages that might cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $20,000, according to Taylor.

Discoloration. Water is your home's No. 1 enemy, said Steve Nations, owner of Nations Home Inspections, based in Oak Park, Ill. "If you could keep your house dry, at least the parts that are supposed to be dry, then it'll last for a long time," Nations said. "If it gets wet, it'll go downhill fast." To easily spot water damage, look at all the walls and ceilings, trying to spot any discoloration — yellow spots on a white wall — that might signal a water leak. In the basement, scan the bottoms of walls for any signs of water leaks. While you're down there, take a deep breath. Do you smell any hint of mold or mustiness?

Bad water pressure. Run the water in every bathroom sink. "Or even better, run the water at the sink and at the tub or shower at the same time," Nations said. "Is the water pressure good?" Plenty of older houses with old, galvanized steel water pipes have bad water pressure that can be fixed only with a costly upgrade to copper pipes.

Uneven stairs. Pay attention to these. In a flight of stairs, all the riser heights should be the same, as should all the tread depths. "In my experience, if the carpenter didn't get the stairs right, then he probably messed up plenty of other things that are likely to come back to haunt you later," Nations said.

Windows that don't open. Very old double-hung windows are often hard to open. And plenty of casement windows (the kind that are hinged on the side and have to be cranked open) that are only 15 to 20 years old have problems with the crank mechanism that makes them very hard to open and close. Replacement windows can be pricey, costing up to $1,000 each.

Dead trees. If any of the trees on the property don't have leaves in the spring, summer or fall, they may be dead. "Something as simple as a dead tree in a yard in the spring and summer months may not seem like a big deal, but the reason it died could tell another story," said Kristin Trzoski, realty agent with Prime Real Estate, based in Northwest Indiana. Have beetles or ants taken over the tree? Those have plenty of strength in numbers, and they can put the integrity of the tree in danger, causing it to fall over and cause damage to the home. An arborist should be able to offer a free or low-cost inspection to let you know if the tree needs to go — and why. "Something as simple as knocking down a tree may be in order for a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to prevent future mishaps," Trzoski said. Also, making sure those insects haven't infested the home is important and isn't always easy to know right away, she said.

An uneven floor. Many older homes have uneven floors, which could point to settlement or other issues — even termites. Typical home inspectors won't be able to determine the exact cause of the uneven floors. Potential buyers should seek out a structural engineer before purchasing, advised Jerry Grodesky, managing broker at Farm and Lake Houses Real Estate in Loda, Ill. — that's the only way to know for certain if there are big problems in store.