Most of the inspections I do are for residential buyers. When someone is buying a home they hire me to go through the home looking for current and future problems. There are several items that I come across on a regular basis that I will go over here so you can check your home before you put it on the market. If your home has some of the red flags I mention, I recommend that you take the initiative and fix these things before you start showing your home. I thought of this issue this week as I walked up to and then inside an older residence in Lloydminster. I immediately got the feeling that this was a good home and that the homeowners had a lot of pride of ownership. The yard was beautiful and the inside of the home was clean and nothing appeared broken or worn out.
When you are listing your property think like the inspector will think when they see the home. I often spot several issues as soon as I pull up to the curb. The absence or disrepair of eaves troughs and downspouts and improper slope are two of the most critical items I call out for repair. Siding is another less obvious concern. Go over the siding and check for loose or missing pieces. Also look for gaps around the wall penetrations such as fresh air intakes and vent hoods. Now look at the deck. If you have to be careful where you walk on your deck for fear of falling off or going through then you really should repair or replace the deck. Trust me when I say the buyer will not be impressed if they get hurt while viewing your home. This safety message goes for all areas of your home of course.
Finally once I am inside I will often find problems with leaks in the toilets and around showers and tubs. If the toilet rocks back and forth or the shower stall is missing several ceramic tiles you will be setting yourself up for some price negotiations as bathrooms are not cheap to repair. Pay close attention to exposed wires in the basement which will require an electrical contractor. Also repair ALL leaks in water or drain lines. While all these items seem minor they speak of a bigger problem with the home, lack of maintenance. Not all buyers are willing to buy a home that needs these types of repairs, those buyers that do, will often try to negotiate a lower price to take care of the issues themselves. This lower, take it or leave it price is often thousands less then the first offer and far more then it would have cost you to do the same repairs. It only makes sence to do the maintenance before you sell. Good luck
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