Selling a House? First Things First

When you plan on selling your house, take into consideration that majority of prospective buyers are educated about the importance of getting a professional home inspection done. Don’t wait for the examiner to point out possible defects in your property. To avoid the delay of closing the deal, examine your house’s condition immediately, make repairs if needed and present it to potential buyers when it’s in mint condition.

While thorough home inspection is more complicated, here are some of the areas where defects will most distress the buyers:

o    When your basement and crawlspaces are damp. You will know that the areas mentioned are too moist when the odors of mildew prevail. Make sure to cover with plastic the exposed earth found in your basement or crawlspaces. This will prevent the moisture levels from rising up.

o    Mold and mildew will make buyers walk out the door and never come back. Mildew stains and odor won’t get you a respectable offer for your property. Even if the problem is minimal, fix the problem immediately.

o    Check for foundation “leakage”. This is a result of bad drainage, causing the water to funnel towards your house’s foundation. Also, divert drainage downspouts away from your property.

o    Keep your gutters clean. This will cause the rainwater to flow to downspouts and not spill over the sides of the gutter located along the foundation.

o    You can check if drainage lines are plugged by flooding these with water from a hose. If water gushes on your directions, then your drainage lines should be cleared.

o    Damaged roofs and chimneys are one of the things immediately noticed by potential buyers. If your shingles and other roof coverings have deteriorated, have it fixed immediately.

o    Make sure that your fireplace is working properly.

o    If you have leaks in your plumbing, make sure they’re working properly upon inspection. Check your septic system since they can indicate drainage problem.

o    Make sure that your electrical systems are not inadequate. Have a professional check out your electrical panel and circuit breaker configuration.

Aside from what’s listed above, here are other things that you should make sure are working:

o    Check your heating and cooling systems and see that they work just fine.

o    Take a close look at your structure and foundation for strength.

o    Make sure that the remaining appliances are in good condition such as smoke detectors.