Should you do a home inspection if you are selling your home, PRIOR to putting it on the market? I know there’s so much to think about when selling, it’s hard to decipher what to or not to do.
Hi, I’m Raymond Eaddy with HomeSmart and I’ve helped sellers prepare their homes for sale in the Fort Washington area. Now that you’ve spent time preparing your home for sale, why should you worry about a Home Inspection? I’ll tell you why.
The home inspection of your home is just as important as your contract offer. Almost every buyer whose contract is accepted will do a Home Inspection, even their lender will recommend that they get one. The home inspection is designed to evaluate the general condition of your home and all of its mechanical systems. This inspection can make or break your deal, so spending a little time on some of these issues BEFORE your home goes under contract will save you time and money in the end.
Also, knowing what repairs that may come up and the cost to fix them will help give you a better understanding of what your true proceeds will be. Let’s look at the major issues that often come up on a home inspection.
#1 Electrical Issues
Make sure that all outlets, GFCIs, and switches work and replace any broken outlet covers. Also, replace burned out light bulbs to avoid a negative observation like “Light is inoperable” on the report that may suggest an electrical problem.
#2 Water and Plumbing
Make sure you don’t have any leaky faucets or signs of leaking under your cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms or on outside spigots.
#3 A/C system
Clean or replace dirty HVAC air filters. They should fit securely.
#4 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace dead batteries
#5 Broken Items
Attend to broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches; window panes, screens and locks; gutters, roof tiles, downspouts and chimney caps.
#6 Section 1 or Section 2 items
These include Dry Rot. Dry rot often occurs around door frames on exterior doors or on the siding of homes. This is common in that they are older and/or have a lot of sun exposure, but it can be easily addressed. Also, be sure to remove stored items, debris and wood from underneath the home in the crawl space. These may be cited as “conducive conditions” for termites or they very well may already have termites on them. Also, be sure to trim any tree limbs within 10 ft of the house.
#7 Doors
Make sure that all of your doors open, close and lock easily. Garage doors must also have working safety features like sensors.
#8 Re-caulking
Re-caulk around tubs, showers and countertops in bath rooms and countertops in kitchens. Checking these areas before your home inspection is an investment in selling your property.
Your real estate agent will thank you! For any clarification of these items, feel free to call us here, at HomeSmart. If you’re thinking about selling your Fort Washington home, we are the area real estate experts! Your property is our priority.