You met with your Realtor, you developed a strategy to sell your home for top dollar. You have now decorated the home, listed the home for sale and now your home is ready for offers! During current market conditions you likely got multiple offers due to low inventory and you are excited because you picked the best one. Now it’s time for the buyer to schedule the Home Inspection as in most Real Estate contracts, it is likely a contingency that allows the buyer to request for repairs, negotiate the offer or worst case scenario for the seller, back out of the sale.
The reality is that no home is perfect, but here are the top 3 things that we often find in homes that may break a deal if not handled properly. It is important to be aware of these items during your pre-listing Home Inspection that we at Diamond Property Inspections always recommend sellers to do so they can be well aware of the current condition of the home, and allow them to make repairs or adjustments to the home which may be a deal breaker for a buyer.
Poor Roof Condition
A Roof is often the number one item in a home that can scare buyers away if the condition of the roof is poor. This is likely because a roof repair can cost anywhere from $5,000-$12,000 for a professional to repair. This at times is where negotiations can halt to a stop due to the seller likely not being able to make the necessary repairs to move forward with the transaction. Things that can determine a roof to be in “poor” condition are findings such as: sagging roof, weak or deteriorating roof, water damage inside home or in attic, roof over 20 years old, missing flashing or damaged, etc.
Electrical Problems
Did you know in California there were over 26,000 residential electrical fires caused in 2018? This at time is an area where an unqualified Home Inspector may miss due to lack of education as well as time spent at the home during the Inspection. Due to this, we at Diamond Property Inspections not only do a thorough evaluation of the Electrical System, I also have spent thousands of hours in courses to stay on top of the latest safety information to provide you with a detailed Home Inspection to ensure everyone’s safety. Items that we typically inspect in a home for your Electrical System are outlets, light switches, electrical panels, breakers, GFCI’s, etc. Some of the items that can determine your Electrical System in poor condition can consist of: Flickering lights, signs of scorched areas, noises such as popping, crackling, buzzing, warm spots on outlets etc.
Water Damage
This is likely not the first time you may have heard how impactful water damage can be to a home. The insurance industry often recommends home owners to be aware of things like high water pressure, install water leak detectors etc because water damage and mold cost the insurance industry over $2 Billion Dollars per year. Water Damage issues can range from mild areas to severage damage. This may be the case due to perhaps minor plumbing leaks that may have gone unattended, or major item such as a roof leaks that were never noticed which has then caused sagging roof, structural damage, mold, among other items that would now have to be looked at in order to continue with the real estate transaction. Signs of water damage that are typically found in home inspections are discolored areas on ceilings, wet spots, crackling, bubbling, flaking, damp, musty or moldy smell, etc.
If you are thinking of selling your home, and have identified some of these signs in your home. Give us a call to schedule an appointment for your Pre-Listing Home Inspection and let us help you plan accordingly to be able to give you realistic and valuable items that can immediately be repaired or adjusted before selling the home. This will ensure you don’t have any delays or additional headaches on your real estate transaction.
