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A black front door, steam shower, or a perfectly mowed lawn can bump up your home’s value. But where there are stand-out tweaks that will get you more bang for your buck, there are also warning signs that’ll hurt your wallet. According to a new report from Groundworks, foundation problems that go ignored could reduce your asking price by as much as 30 percent. Fortunately, the company also provided a comprehensive list of all the giveaways homeowners should look out for. 

Gaps in the walls, sagging floors, water in the crawl space, wood rot—these are some of the more obvious signs that there are deeper issues at play (things that could leave your house unable to sustain a major weather event, open the gateway for pests and insects, or affect air quality). But turn your back on the not-so-obvious below and all your other improvements will go to waste. 

  • Nail pops
  • Sticking windows and doors
  • Uneven floors 
  • A high electric bill 
  • Musty odors 
  • Condensation on windows and doors 
  • Open crawl-space vents 
  • High indoor humidity 

 Painting and swapping light fixtures are all well and good when you want to give your home a fresh look for less. Just be sure to check for these signs before you even think of selling and thank us later.

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