5 Red Flags to Watch Out for When Buying a Home with a Patio

One of the best things about summer is sitting outside on the patio with a cold drink, taking in the sights and sounds around you. Done right, it can be an oasis from your daily life that transports you to a calming atmosphere. Done poorly… and patios can be a pretty big pain. If you’re planning to buy a home with a patio that’ll become your outdoor sanctuary, watch out for these red flags. 

The biggest issue to look out for, says Suzi Dailey, a realtor with Realty One Group in Orange County, California, is a patio with poor drainage. You want to make sure water isn’t pooling anywhere, and that drainage heads away from the house. Pooling water will attract mosquitos and cause deterioration, and water that trickles toward the house will damage the walls of the home and possibly compromise the foundation.

Be sure to ask your agent if the wood on a wooden patio or deck was pretreated.

“If not, there is the potential for dry rot and termites,” Dailey says. “This is not earth-shattering and can be dealt with, but it can be an expense to replace the wood with pre-treated wood.”

Sometimes you won’t need to ask; if the wood looks ashy or flaky, chances are it wasn’t pretreated.

Having some sort of shade on a patio can do a lot more good than you think. It can cool down the temperature both inside your home and on the patio, it can look lovely, and it can be a haven for wildlife like birds. Plus, when people feel more comfortable with the temperature and protection from the sun, they’re a lot more likely to spend time in your outdoor space.

“No one wants a concrete desert!” Dailey says. “I think it adds character and charm to have a lovely tree alongside a patio for beauty and shade, or a trellis. Also, homes that have beautiful foliage have much more of an estate-quality feel than if the yard is barren.”

If the stairs on your patio aren’t up to code, it could cause problems during the home inspection. Make sure there’s a railing and that the steps are equidistant. If they’re wood, check for dry rot, which could lead to a mushiness in the wood that causes it to break and become a safety hazard.

Dailey notes that a cracked foundation on a patio isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it could mean that either the foundation of the patio has settled, or that it was built without any stabilizing components. Make sure weeds aren’t popping up through the cracks, as that can deteriorate the patio even more. Plus, cracking can be a tripping hazard. 

“If you see a lot of cracking, you may wish to meet with a concrete contractor to discuss options,” Dailey says.