How to Spot a Money Pit in Under 10 Minutes (Without Being a Contractor)

I know this probably isn’t what you want to be thinking about during a showing. You want to imagine yourself making soup in that sunlit kitchen. Or maybe where the dog bed would go. Not “Hmm, is this basement about to emotionally and financially devastate me?”And yet… here we are.

Hi. I’m Evans. I do real estate, staging, and design—and I also have formal training in building and landscape architecture. (Don’t worry, though—I still forget where I put my tea three times a day.)

Over the years, I’ve walked through hundreds of homes and learned that you don’t need a toolkit to spot red flags—you just need to know what’s worth a second look. So this is my soft, non-scary guide to spotting potential problems in under 10 minutes, ideally before you get too emotionally attached to the reading nook.

1. The Basement Smells… Weird

Let’s start here because it’s often the first thing I notice (even when I’m trying not to).

If you walk into a basement and it smells musty, metallic, or vaguely like something sad happened in 1982 and never left—that’s probably moisture. Or mold. Or both. Especially if someone clearly tried to cover it up with paint or an essential oil diffuser that’s working a little too hard.

Some not-so-fun signs:

• White chalky stuff on the walls (that’s efflorescence—a word that sounds way more magical than it is)

• Bubbling or flaking paint near the floor

• Fresh paint covering big cracks without other signs of repair

Also… if the house is sitting lower than the road? That’s a red flag. Water flows downhill. Always. I don’t make the rules.

2. Cracks That Make Me Uncomfortable

Okay, so: not all cracks are bad. Homes settle. Drywall shifts. It happens.

But if you spot a foundation crack that’s wide enough to slide a coin into—and one side is jutting out more than the other—it’s probably not just cosmetic.

That’s the kind of thing that usually means the wall is shifting, and if you’re picturing hydraulic jacks and structural engineers right now… yeah, same. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s definitely not “just needs a little TLC” either.

3. Cute Renovation… or Just a Disguise? 

I love design. Love it. But it makes me a little twitchy when a house looks amazing on the surface, but nothing underneath has been touched.

Some combos that give me pause:

• New countertops + leaking faucets

• Fancy tile with moldy caulk

• Floors that look great but feel like a trampoline

• Modern lights paired with a ‘70s electrical panel (mmm, the scent of potential fire hazards)

A pretty house is great. A functioning house is even better.

4. That Garage Loft Situation? No.

This one is weirdly specific, but it comes up a lot: if you see a garage where someone’s storing heavy stuff—like boxes, carpet rolls, or entire holiday villages—up in the rafters, pause.

Trusses are not designed to carry load. Especially in detached garages, which usually don’t have the same structural support as the house. That kind of over-storage can mess with the framing, and once the roof starts sagging… it’s a whole thing. (Yes, this happened. Yes, it was a mess.)

5. Water Is Sneaky

I know, I talk about water a lot. It’s because water is quietly chaotic. You don’t always notice it until something is very wrong.

Some gentle water-related things to keep an eye out for:

• Gutters dumping water near the foundation

• Landscaping that slopes toward the house

• Standing water or really soggy patches

• Basements that seem like they were just power-washed but still feel damp

Also, drainage fixes tend to be… not cheap. If you’re dreaming about a new bathroom, but need to dig up the yard to install French drains instead, it’s kind of a buzzkill.

Final Thoughts From Your Slightly Overthinking Friend

You don’t have to be an expert. Or even particularly handy. But if you trust your gut, slow down, and stay curious—you can avoid a lot of messes.

I really believe that every space has potential. But that potential gets a whole lot easier to unlock when the foundation isn’t crumbling and the basement doesn’t smell like heartbreak. If you want a quick checklist to bring to showings, I made one (because of course I did). And if you ever find yourself whispering “is this weird…?” during a tour—call me. I’ll probably say yes. And then explain why. And then maybe tell you a story about mold.