When your real estate agent calls to tell you the good news – congratulations, the house is sold! – don’t celebrate just yet. In the days between signing the contract, all the way until the official closing date, the deal can still fall through. The reason why?
Home Inspections.
Every smart buyer will request to have one done by the inspector of their choosing, no matter how good-looking the aesthetic of your home. Likewise, every smart seller should be prepared with an inspector of their own, before the house ever hits the market. No matter how freshly-painted the walls or how open the floor plan, it’s the small (and sometimes hidden) details that will prove to be the dealbreakers.
Here are some of the most commonly found issues in your home that are just about guaranteed to kill your deal.
Environmental Health Hazards:
In the good ol’ days (particularly before the 1980’s), lead was abundant in the home, providing durability to both the paint and the water pipes. Likewise, asbestos could be found in everything from the floor tiles to the insulation, thanks to its fire-resistant qualities and long-lasting nature.
Of course, we now understand both substances to be both extremely harmful, and moreover are sure to raise a red flag with sellers.
Foundation or Structural Defects:
Are your freshly-painted walls bending or bowed? Is your floor foundation striped with large vertical, or – even worse – horizontal cracks? Whereas buyers might turn a blind eye to other issues that aren’t immediately noticeable, the easy-to-spot nature of structural defects make them one of the fastest ways to send buyers running.
Do yourself a favor and call in a professional ASAP, as they’ll be able to identify these structural problems – from improper framing methods, to wood rot from termites or water leakage – well before they start to pose a risk to your home’s integrity or your deal.
Electrical and Plumbing Issues:
If you own an older home, or your previous owner was a “handyman” who valued quick DIY solutions for electrical problems, chances are your home falls short of modern building code. Even if you’ve been living safely for years, old electrical systems – from knob and tube wiring found in houses built before the 1930s, to more commonly found fuse box setups from 1960’s era homes – can spook lenders and send your deal south.
Moreover, if your tubs and sinks are constantly clogging, the issue might require a more thorough look-through and fix than a quick pour of Drano.
The Solution:
If you’re a homeowner eager to sell your house, it’s important to take these issues seriously.
Though an untrained eye might be able to catch the most surface-level issues, hiring an experienced professional is always the way to go to avoid any surprises. Certified Home Inspections offers pre-listing inspections to alleviate the stress of a deal falling through unexpectedly, offering you the highest guarantee that your home-selling experience will be quick, smooth, and without any potentially deal-busting hiccups along the way.