We think that only Buyers need to get an Inspection on a home, but in reality when the Seller gets an inspection it can save them money on costly last minute repairs and even can increase the value before you list! Don’t forget to disclose what you found and how you fixed it!! Remember either you will find it or the Buyer will…
“Measure twice, cut once”
– adapted from John Florio 1591 book Second Frutes
When a Seller has an inspection BEFORE they list, they have the opportunity to have things fixed on their own time table and thus costing less money for having urgent work done on the home to accommodate a Buyer Closing schedule. Here are just a few items that will come up when a Buyer has their inspection. Get ahead of the situation!
Most Common Inspection Items
- Electrical – GFCI missing or not working, electrical outlets not working or not installed properly, exposed wires, circuit breaker mismatch, panel not labeled
- Plumbing – Anti siphon missing from hose bib, leaky faucets, angle stops corroded or unable to move,
- Sewer or Septic – Obstruction from the street to the home, belly in the line, deterioration of the line or tank
- Floors – Gaps, mismatch tripping hazards, broken tiles
- Termites – You really want to know this before you list!
- Dishwasher – No high loop, not working properly, too noisy
- Pool and/or Spa Equipment – Not working properly, less than 2-3 years useful life, not current to code
- Water Heater – Leaking, no pan, less than 2-3 years useful life
- HVAC – Not properly maintained, less than 2-3 years useful life, previous patch work done to keep it going, old R22 Freon
- Windows – Broken seal, cracked windows, doesn’t open/close/lock
- Roof – Debris, cracked tiles, roof less than 2-3 years useful life
- Vegetation – Too close to the house or touching the roof (some loan products will call this out during the appraisal)
- Handyman – Toilet seat not bolted properly, cracks in plaster or wood, door handles, locks, missing keys, tile cracks, doors not able to open close properly, missing or old smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors when there is gas in the home, anti tip device on the stove/oven missing, lack of proper attic insulation
So these are just a few of the things that a prospective Buyer’s Agent is going to be looking for. Why wait until you have already decided on a price for the home and then the Buyer wants you to come down on price or hurry up and fix everything in the next 2 weeks!
