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Is Your Home Physically Fit?
To give your home a competitive edge when it's time
to sell, make sure it is in good physical condition.
This not only makes your home more attractive and desirable,
it also simplifies the negotiation process when the
time comes for the buyer's pre-purchase inspection.
According to home inspection experts, approximately
half the resale homes in the market today have at least
one significant defect. Routine maintenance is the best
way to prevent major, costly problems from developing
in the first place. If you have been putting off those
repairs, now is the time to make them.
A Home Seller's Check List
Over the years, ASHI has identified a list of common
problems that typically appear on buyer's home inspection
reports. Early correction of these problems can increase
a home's appeal and its selling price. It also sets
the stage for a favorable home inspection report for
the buyer, and thereby helps to expedite the sale. The
following 6-point checklist can help you achieve these
marketing goals. *(Also see Home Buyer Checklist).
1. CHECK THE MAJOR SYSTEMS
After size, style, and location, a home buyer's primary
concern is the condition of the home's basic structure
and major mechanical systems. Most buyers do not want
to invest a great deal of money correcting problems
in such critical areas.
A pre-listing home inspection of the visible and accessible
home components can reveal most of these problems, and
include recommended repairs, if needed, on the following
major items:
- Roof structure and covering
- Foundation, basement, and/or crawl space
- Central heating and air conditioning systems
- Electrical system
- Plumbing system
2. MAKE MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS
A number of maintenance improvements are relatively
easy and inexpensive to make, yet they can substantially
improve a home's appearance, efficiency, and comfort.
A professional home inspector may make helpful maintenance
suggestions, such as:
- Trim trees and shrubs which touch or overhang the
house
- Apply new caulking and weather stripping as needed
around windows and doors
- Clean gutters of debris and leaves; repair or replace
cracked or broken gutters, downspouts, and extensions
to ensure proper drainage
- Replace bathroom caulk or grouting where necessary
to prevent seepage and improve appearance
- Ventilate closed basements and crawl spaces, or
install a dehumidifier, to prevent excessive moisture
build-up
- Regrade soil around the foundation, as needed to
keep water away from the house
- Replace dirty filters in the heating and air conditioning
systems
- Have the heating and air conditioning systems professionally
serviced
- Have chimneys professionally cleaned, and install
chimney hoods or caps as needed
3. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS
Fixing even minor items can go a long way toward improving
that important first impression of our home. Here are
some typical improvements which might be suggested by
the home inspector's findings:
- Repair leaky faucets
- Tighten loose doorknobs
- Replace damaged screens
- Replace broken panes of glass
- Replace burned-out light bulbs
- Secure loose railings
- Repair and coat driveway
- Patch holes or cracks in walls and ceilings, then
repaint
- Repair peeling wallpaper
4. TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Home inspectors also pay attention to items relating
to protecting the home and its occupants from danger.
They can alert you to important safety precautions which
home buyers will appreciate, such as:
- Installing smoke detectors on each level
- Installing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI's)
in "wet" areas, such as kitchen counters
tops, bathrooms, and exterior outlets
- Keeping flammable products away from heaters, water
heaters, and fireplaces
5. MAKE COSMETIC IMPROVEMENTS
An attractive, clean, and neat home will appeal to a
buyer's emotions. In addition to making repairs such
as those listed above, remember to:
- Keep the lawn mowed and the house neat
- Clean the exterior walls and trim; repaint if necessary
- Open windows shades and curtains to create a bright,
inviting atmosphere
- Keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean, since buyers
scrutinize these areas
6. PREPARE FOR THE BUYER'S INSPECTION
It's a good idea to assemble in advance various house
records that can be used to answer questions from buyers
and home inspectors. The Home
Buyer Checklist identifies some of the important
factors to consider when choosing a home. In addition
to an affordable sales price, they will also want to
be sure that the neighborhood and house meet the needs
of their family.
Schedule
Your Inspection Online
If you want "Peace Of Mind"
for your next home purchase, plus lots of extra value,
then give Tiger Home & Building Inspection a call
Today to schedule your inspection!
Call
Right Now: 866-844-3726
Tiger Home & Building Inspections
offers you the benefits, experience, flexibility, and
efficiency that only a company of specialists can provide.
Our company-wide focus on personal attention, however,
makes you feel like you are the only client we have!
We provide home inspection services
to the Front Range, Mountains and Western Slope of Colorado
and all the areas in between.
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