![\"Theresa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4509ecc479626b9611ac988eb4dd634a.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nNEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
A DIY house flipper shares the biggest red flags she looks for when buying a home<\/p>\n
Structural issues like sinking foundations and cracks are immediate dealbreakers<\/p>\n
She says cosmetic changes are manageable, but major repairs can quickly spiral<\/p>\n
The home looked promising at first glance, but it didn\u2019t take long for Theresa Vanderstar to notice something was off. The floors felt uneven, the walls showed visible cracks and the structure itself seemed slightly shifted.<\/p>\n
As she moved through the space, those details became harder to ignore. What might look like a simple fixer-upper to some buyers quickly signaled a much bigger issue.<\/p>\n
Vanderstar, who has spent years renovating homes, has learned to trust those early impressions. When she\u2019s house hunting, she isn\u2019t just thinking about style \u2014 she\u2019s thinking about risk.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I] wouldn\u2019t touch it with a 10-foot pole,\u201d she tells PEOPLE.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Theresa Vanderstar with her cat and cat wall in her new home
Credit: Theresa Vanderstar<\/p>\n
Those kinds of problems go far beyond cosmetic updates. Structural issues can affect everything from safety to long-term costs.<\/p>\n
Though Vanderstar is currently still renovating her 1980s home, she says she and her husband are already eyeing other homes that could be their next renovation flip \u2014 but some of the homes she’s looked at had issues she refuses to touch.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could see the house had sunk in one corner, the windows were all cock-eyed, the doorframes were crooked, there were cracks all over the walls,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Even after successfully renovating multiple homes, she knows not every project is worth taking on. Some issues come with too many unknowns to justify the investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more the stuff that can really snowball and cost,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean she avoids homes that need work altogether. In fact, she actively looks for properties with potential \u2014 as long as the problems are manageable.<\/p>\n
![\"Before](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a5e3ef8bf5e1ae31da5936363ee57546.jpeg\"\/)
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Before and after of Theresa Vanderstar’s kitchen
Credit: Theresa Vanderstar<\/p>\n
Cosmetic updates, outdated layouts and even moving walls are all things she\u2019s comfortable tackling. Those projects come with clearer timelines and fewer surprises.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if we had to hire someone to come, like, put in a beam or something, we would do that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Even with that flexibility, she\u2019s careful about where she draws the line. Some projects simply fall outside what she wants to take on.<\/p>\n
For Vanderstar, the difference ultimately comes down to control. Cosmetic renovations allow her to plan with confidence, while structural issues often don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
After years of living in homes mid-renovation, she has also started thinking differently about her next move. The idea of taking on a project without living in it has become more appealing.<\/p>\n