Now, house hunting is pretty much like looking for an ideal long-term partner. It’s generally accepted that there will always be defects in one form or another. The determining factor here is whether or not these defects are ones that you can tolerate — like, say, a bad hairdo. Then there are things that you simply cannot overlook.

House selection is a major life decision and it should be handled with much care and thought. These pointers apply to every house, regardless of location, whether it’s land for sale Perth in Australia or a two-story home in the suburbs of America.

Now, some house defects are easy to remedy while others are simply really expensive or worse, near impossible to fix. And who better to scrutinize a house than the person who has the keenest of eyes in the family? That often means us, moms. But keep in mind, some defects go beyond what is visible to the naked eye and these defects require a few questions to be asked.

1. Structural Defects

Now the most obvious defects to look out for are structural defects. These include old roofing, cracked foundation, sealed or non-functioning windows and doors (because they’re too old), and cracked wall posts. All these repairs will definitely cost you a large sum to repair, but having old roofing replaced will easily skyrocket to a 5-digit cost.

2. Sewage System Defects

Not only are these expensive to repair, they’re also seriously dangerous to your family’s health. Sewage systems that are connected from your house to the main sewage system are deemed the homeowner’s responsibility, not the city’s. So keep that in mind.

3. Drainage Defects

Nobody likes house leaks, especially in the basement. Faulty drainage systems are expensive and timely to repair. If you’re unsure how to determine whether a basement floods, simply look at the maintenance equipment there. If they’re positioned a few feet above the ground, then that’s already a sign that you should be wary. On the other hand, if you see that there’s a carpet on the floor and that it’s not only dry, but also smells pleasant, then that’s a sign that there’s no basement leak.

4. Emotional Defects

Houses that have been the place where a violent crime or a suicide has been committed are said to have “emotional defects”. The way emotional defects are treated varies from state to state. Some states require sellers to disclose this information if the death happened within the past three years, other states require that these details be disclosed regardless of the time past the event. One thing is common among all states — If a buyer asks, sellers are legally obliged to disclose this type of information.

5. Paranormal Activities

In relation to emotional defects, sellers are also legally required to inform buyers of any ghost hauntings or exorcisms that have been performed in the house. However, like in the case of emotional defects, states treat this type of disclosure differently.