How to Spot a Catfish House (Before You Buy It)

Looking for a home has always been stressful and tiring. In recent years, a whole new level of complexity has been added to this process, as the technology that was supposed to make our lives easier instead betrays us – because we now have to deal with catfish houses.

The phrase is a riff on the term ” catfish “, which describes a scam where people use fake social media profiles to establish relationships. A catfish house is one where a lot of effort goes into making the house look updated and in good condition when in fact it is not. This goes beyond the deceptive photographs commonly used in real estate listings or the blatant ways in which real estate TV shows distort the truth about home flipping. This translates into real harm because you may be tricked into buying a home that has costly problems hidden behind it and may even be dangerous to live in.

How a catfish house can deceive you

Catfish houses go beyond the staging and photographic tricks used to make houses look their best and into potential scams. In a recent episode of HGTV’s Why the Hell Did I Buy This House, the catfish house problem was depicted in horrific detail. In a video posted to Instagram , the electrician revealed that the real effort was made to update only the visible aspects of the electrical infrastructure – panels, outlets and short sections of wires that will be exposed. Everything else was old, substandard, and potentially very dangerous. But it could only be seen when the walls were open.

Here are some of the reasons why a catfish house can be deceiving:

• List bedrooms that were found to be too small or awkwardly shaped for use, or that do not meet the legal standards for bedrooms, which typically require an egress window and toilet.

• Purely cosmetic work hiding significant problems. Examples include cheap carpeting over damaged floors, fresh paint over mold or ongoing water damage, and new light fixtures attached to broken or failing plumbing or wiring.

• Using Photoshop or other digital tools to make updates that weren’t actually done, such as making walls look freshly painted, or making kitchen cabinets look new instead of worn out.

• Covering foundation problems such as cracks with surface fillers and paint.

• Exaggerating the size of a home using deceptive photographs and “fuzzy” math that includes unfinished rooms or open square footage.

• Insect damage and rotting of beams and wall studs that were just left in place – The bugs may be gone, but the frame of the house is damaged and hidden behind new walls and floors.

The intention to deceive turns a house into a catfish. While many real estate listings strive to present a property in an ideal way that may not reflect the day-to-day reality of living there, a catfish home actually hides serious problems or feigns significant improvements.

How to Avoid a Catfish House

Obviously, you should avoid buying a catfish house. While you may have legal recourse if you find that you were duped into buying it, spending years in court while spending a small fortune repairing and remodeling a home you thought was move-in ready isn’t exactly an ideal scenario. . So how can you avoid buying a catfish house in the first place?

• Inspections. Never waive your right to have the property inspected and consider any pressure from the seller to be suspicious unless the home is advertised as an “as is” sale. In tense multi-offer situations, waiving the right to review is sometimes suggested as a way to improve your chances, but only do it if you’re willing to deal with whatever’s lurking beneath the surface.

• Photo. Always be skeptical about photos in real estate listings. Besides the usual wide-angle lens tricks, pay attention to details like the time of year: if the photos are of a bright spring day but it’s cold and snowy outside, those photos could be of a house from many years ago. Also think about what’s not in these photos: Are all the bedrooms and bathrooms shown in the listing? Missing rooms or other elements may indicate that there are some tricks hiding in the house.

• Physical signs. One possible sign of a catfish home is fresh work, even though the listing doesn’t mention recent renovations. While freshly painted walls are a common way to freshen up a home for sale, look for things like

  • Wall plates. Poorly sized or loose outlets and switches may indicate a quick and dirty job to hide an electrical problem. Brand new plates on the walls that haven’t been painted can also be a clue.

  • Inconsistent performance. Flickering lights or inconsistent water pressure in certain areas of the home where there is no identified problem can be signs of danger.

  • Wall textures. Take a look at those freshly painted walls: are there any smooth spots that could indicate a hasty drywall repair? Or uneven areas where joint compound got into a hole and was poorly treated?

  • Floor bounce. Don’t just pay attention to how your floors look—think about how they feel . Bouncy floors may indicate problems with the joists underneath new carpeting or newly installed flooring.

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