Buying your first home is one of the most exciting times of anyone’s life. When you start viewing properties, it’s easy to get caught up in that excitement and focus on the square footage, the house’s layout, and other factors that you fall in love with. Unfortunately, many first-time homebuyers make some common mistakes when viewing properties, even if they’re working with a seasoned real estate agent.

Unfortunately, if you’ve never purchased a home before, you may not know what to look for. In many cases, beyond the fresh paint and the neatly-staged rooms, there is a litany of issues just waiting to make themselves known. Real estate listings highlight a home’s best qualities, and sellers typically stage and prepare their space to make it as appealing as possible. That means it takes a more careful eye to notice anything that could affect maintenance costs, comfort, or future resale value.

If you’re planning on buying your first home soon, discover some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Paying Too Much Attention to Décor and Not Enough to Structure

Trendy paint colors, stylish furniture, and other features can be distracting, especially if you’ve never gone through the homebuying process before. Listing agents work with their buyers to make a space appear move-in ready, which leads to buyers mentally moving in before they even make an official offer. This is why it’s so important to look beyond décor and consider the structure of the home. The décor leaves when the seller moves out, and the buyer is left to deal with any underlying issues.

Instead of focusing on how rooms are decorated, it is important to look closely at walls, ceilings, floors, and window frames. Uneven flooring, cracks, stains, or soft spots may signal deeper issues such as moisture damage or shifting foundations. These are much more expensive to fix than anything cosmetic and can become major home inspection issues later.

While you may not be interested in moving into a fixer-upper, keep in mind that it’s easy to change light fixtures, paint colors, and furniture. Separating emotional reactions from logical evaluation will help you avoid large, expensive issues in the future.

Overlooking Storage, Closets, and Practical Space

Most of the homes that you view will be lightly staged and mostly empty. The goal of any home seller is to make the space seem larger. With this in mind, you shouldn’t forget your current storage needs and any that you may have in the future. If you like to cook, think about how much storage space you need in the kitchen. If you plan to have children in the future, think about closet space not only in the primary bedroom, but in any other bedrooms. Lack of storage space becomes a frustrating daily problem after the excitement of move-in fades.

Closets, attic space, pantry size, garage storage, and linen cabinets are essential to everyday living. Without enough storage, homes quickly become cluttered and stressful to maintain. Many buyers discover this issue after they have unpacked and realize there is no logical place for seasonal items, tools, bulk household supplies, clothes, and more.

When viewing homes, open the closets and picture your belongings inside. Think about how much stuff you’re already storing in your garage or attic. If a home looks like it would be cluttered and crowded as soon as you move in, it’s safe to assume that the problem will only get worse.

Ignoring Signs of Water Damage or Moisture Problems

Water is one of the most damaging forces in any home. Unfortunately, moisture damage is easy to overlook when viewing a property for the first time. While licensed real estate agents are generally required to discuss water damage, sellers who are trying to sell their home themselves may put a fresh coat of paint over moisture damage to conceal it. While this is unethical, and in some instances illegal, it’s a real problem that buyers run into.

Discoloration, musty odors, swollen baseboards, or peeling paint may be subtle but often point to leaks or poor ventilation. These problems can lead to mold growth, damaged framing, and costly repairs and remediation. Basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and areas around windows are especially important to check carefully.

Moisture problems rarely remain small, even if they appear insignificant. Depending on the size and location of moisture damage, you may be better served by looking for a different property.

Forgetting to Evaluate Noise, Traffic, and the Surrounding Area

Most home showings take place on Saturday afternoons. Depending on the neighborhood where you’re shopping, things might be moving at a slow, leisurely pace at that time. However, the area around your new home is probably going to be much busier during the week. If you don’t like the sound of traffic, you may not want to purchase a home in an area near a busy interstate. You also need to consider nearby airports and railroad tracks, as these can be especially noisy.

It is wise to visit a neighborhood more than once at different times, including evenings or weekends. Pay attention to street parking, lighting, and overall activity levels. A street that appears peaceful may become a busy shortcut during rush hour or a loud gathering spot at night.

Assuming the Home Inspection Will Catch Everything

In virtually every transaction, the buyer is responsible for paying for a home inspection. Most mortgage lenders will require a detailed, written report as a contingency of lending you the money to buy a home. Additionally, you should make the home inspection a contingency of you moving forward with the deal. This not only gives you a way out if the home is found to have latent defects, but also gives you some negotiating power if the inspection uncovers smaller details.

However, you shouldn’t assume that the home inspection is going to catch every issue. After all, the inspector who comes to the property is a human being, and humans make mistakes. The inspection is a powerful tool, but your awareness during tours can guide better offers, negotiations, and decisions about whether a property is worth pursuing at all.

Buyer Beware

Ultimately, buying your first home is a major undertaking, and as such, it’s one that you should go into with as much information as possible. While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of shopping for a new home, especially when you fall in love with the layout, size, and location of a home, it’s crucial that you keep these tips in mind.

If you’re like most buyers, you will spend the next 30 years paying for the house that you’re about to purchase. With that in mind, protect yourself by being vigilant from the first time that you step through the door. Happy house hunting!