My realtor showed me this one trick about looking at the water heater age and it flagged 3 houses instantly

I was getting so frustrated touring houses that looked great but then the inspection would uncover some massive hidden expense. After the third one where the HVAC was held together with tape, my realtor pulled me aside and said look at the water heater first. If it's over 10 years old and not maintained, the whole house probably wasn't either. Checked the stickers on 5 houses and 3 of them had units from 2004, 2008, and 2011. Saved me probably $15k in potential surprises. Has anyone else found a quick visual shortcut that told you to run from a property?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_wright25d ago

I read somewhere that if the water heater doesn't have a recent sediment flush sticker or a drain valve that looks like it's been used, the whole house probably hasn't seen basic maintenance either. That sticker trick your realtor showed you is gold because appliances don't lie about neglect like staging does. I'd also add checking under sinks for any water damage or those plastic drain lines that are stained dark, that's another quick tell that pipes have been leaking and nobody cared.

mason.brian27d ago

Never thought about it that way but you're absolutely RIGHT.

jessica_robinson2327d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, is that really what Mason meant though? I feel like people throw around "never thought of it that way" but then don't actually change their mind. Most of the time it's just a polite way to end a debate without admitting they lost. Honestly, it's kind of a cop out if you ask me.