When you’re preparing to sell your house, it’s perfectly normal to want to present a good product. A few remodels, along with painting over scuffs and scratches are excellent ideas to make your house attractive. Still, it’s not uncommon for buyers to subject sellers to a home inspection before proceeding with any final deal. Here are five of the most common problems an inspector could find during an inspection.
The most serious problems often found during a home inspection involve the foundation of a home, the roof, the ventilation system, the plumbing, or the HVAC system. All of these problems are not only likely but can be difficult and expensive to fix while also being dangerous if left unattended.
These issues are not cosmetic and can cause long-term damage to the home and the buyer’s health, so it’s best to fix them before any potential clients even notice and get spooked.
Foundation
The status of a foundation can make or break a sale. It is the basis on which the entire house rests, and any damage can travel through the rest of the house. A check for the foundation is needed before the sale because it can be stressful or costly to resolve. Issues with the foundation can present in a variety of different ways, one of which is poor grading.
Grading is how much slope is present in the area around the home’s foundation. Normally, you want the slope to incline away from your house so that water will flow away from the structure rather than towards it. If the grading of a house is not correctly angled, flooding in the bottom levels of the home becomes much more likely.
Aside from flooding, grading issues can cause cracks and shifting in the foundation, as well as damp crawl spaces that can propagate dangerous mold. If the water finds its way into the wooden joists, it can lead to warping, wood rot, and termite infestations. If you’re particularly worried about termites, you can also get a Termite (WDI) Inspection, which will examine your home for wood-destroying insects specifically, as most home inspectors won’t explicitly check for them.
Roof
Roof damage can be catastrophic for the integrity of a home especially if it’s located in a storm-prone area. As strong hurricanes hit land with increasing regularity, it’s important to ensure that homes can withstand these strong winds and rain. If your roof was previously installed by someone other than a professional, the home inspector would be able to tell. Even if it was a professional installation, age can wear down a strong roof just as well, so it’s best to take a look before any problems crop up in front of your customers.
Roofs need to be replaced every once in a while, which can be expensive. If, after the inspection, a buyer discloses to you that the roof needs to be replaced or maintained, you have a couple of options. Your best bet to go through with the sale is either lowering your original asking price in acknowledgment that they will need to do renovations when they take possession of the property, or you can hire a professional to fix it before the sale is completed.
However, a professional must do roof maintenance and repair, and you may have trouble finding someone to take the job on short notice if it is not an easy fix. To avoid the stress that comes from price renegotiations or deadlines, it’s easier to identify the problems before putting your house on the market. You can either decide to take the problems with the house into account and sell at a reduced price from the start and disclose said issues to your client, or you can schedule the roof repair without worrying about missing a deadline.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation can be crucial if you have any appliances that run on energy sources like oil or natural gas. If they aren’t installed or configured correctly, these appliances can cause a build-up of dangerous fumes. An inspector will check both the appliances and the ventilation system required to ensure that the fumes are correctly disposed of.
Also, ventilation systems are essential for preventing an outgrowth of mold, as inefficient ventilation systems can lead to a build-up of moisture. Aside from mold, poor ventilation can also lead to wood-rot and termite infestations and cause issues with the foundation of a home. Improper ventilation can also lead to undue strain on your home’s HVAC system by forcing it to work overtime. It can trap large amounts of heat in your attic, raising the total temperature of your home and forcing your HVAC’s cooling system into overdrive. This can also increase the costs of your energy bill.
Plumbing
An inspector will check the plumbing system’s functionality in your home and ensure no visible issues. They will check that it drains correctly, provides enough water and water pressure, and doesn’t leak. Leaky pipes also contribute to increased moisture and mold in the house.
Checking your plumbing system prior to inspection is easy, straightforward, and worth fixing before a home showing. The main things to watch out for are low water pressure and slow drainage, which are the most common symptoms of any issue. Most plumbing issues found during a home inspection are minor, but advanced knowledge is always good.
HVAC System
The HVAC system is a variety of technological systems responsible for your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. The heating and air conditioning systems often work in tandem with one another and take up a significant portion of the energy used in your home. Because of its heavy use, getting your HVAC system serviced yearly is usually recommended. However, few people follow this recommendation, and it can lead to a myriad of issues that suddenly pop up during an expectation.
The most common issue is a dirty filter, but a few other problems crop up that can be more complicated to diagnose and fix. A professional HVAC specialist is recommended if you have doubts about your system’s efficacy. As they use up so much of your home’s energy, an inefficient HVAC system can add serious costs to your monthly energy bills that could be otherwise avoided with a simple systems check.
If you’re selling your house and would rather have a professional examine all the possible weak points of a sale, you can get a Sellers Inspection or a Pre-Listing Home Inspection. They’ll educate you on any issues a buyer might find and tell you which problems are credible enough to hire a professional and which are aesthetic concerns that don’t require much work. They’ll ensure no hidden surprises and expedite the home transfer.
If you’re in Frisco, Texas, check out Kissee Inspection Services for experienced, licensed inspectors near you.