Inspections

Fresh paint, old problems

A quick makeover can make a tired home look new in the photos. What it can cover up, and how to spot it.

You've probably seen it: a tired home gets new paint, a new floor laid over the old one and shiny new handles, and suddenly it looks brand new in the photos. There's nothing wrong with a quick makeover, as long as you know what it's covering.

White painted wall with paint blistering and flaking in a band just above the skirting — Paint blistering low on a wall: a sign of moisture. Fresh paint on just one low patch can be hiding it.Photo: Kebabknight, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source

Black mould spots along the line where a bathroom wall meets the ceiling — Mould where the wall meets the ceiling. A fresh coat on a bathroom ceiling, and nowhere else, is worth a question.Photo: Tony Webster, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source

How to look past it

Notice where the paint is new, and where it isn't.
Smell wardrobes and bathrooms with the windows closed.
Look at the edges of new flooring for a step or a gap.
Ask what was done, when, by whom, and whether approvals were needed.

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