If you’re getting ready to sell your home, one of the best ways to make sure the process goes smoothly is to tackle the obvious repairs as soon as possible. Depending on the interior and exterior “health” of your home, these common repairs can range from tightening a few nuts and bolts, all the way to a laundry list of tweaks and upgrades. Unfortunately, unless you’re a seasoned professional, you likely don’t have enough expertise to assess whether you need a few quick fixes or a complete overhaul. That’s why we rounded up home inspection experts from Sacramento to Philadelphia. Kick back and let these home repair veterans guide you through the most common repairs homeowners need to make!
Focus on foundation
Making repairs to your home before listing/selling your home can be crucial to prospective buyers looking to purchase. As a home inspector, my perspective is more about the functionality of main components and safety issues than curb appeal as these issues could potentially cause a deal to fall apart quicker than pulling the wrong piece during a game of Jenga. While most every other “repair you need to make before selling” lists online will say flooring, paint, light fixtures and other cosmetic repairs I say get the major and safety items repaired/evaluated as it does no good to entice buyers with the glitz and glamour when the “meat and potatoes” may be failing or dangerous as the old saying goes “you can’t polish a turd” or “lipstick on a pig” Here are some of the most important things you should consider evaluating/repairing before selling your home: the electrical, roof, heating/cooling, structure/foundation and water management. The best way to understand the condition of these components is to hire a licensed/certified experienced home inspector to perform a pre-listing inspection before you list. This proactive approach can potentially make you more money and save you from the pain of stressful negotiations at the 11th hour of the transaction. – Advanced Home Inspections
Water Intrusion
A common problem is water penetration. That could be from groundwater from the furnace, hot water tank or it could be from a previous plumbing leak, don’t just fix the problem. Clean up the damage, and make it gone. Another thing that I think will help the seller is to do a thorough cleaning, clean up under the laundry sink behind the dryer, all the dark corners. – Holley Home Inspections
Rain management
If there is one thing we are constantly pointing out during home inspections in the Tulsa area it’s a lack of guttering. For whatever reason, homes seem to be lacking sufficient and well-placed guttering or lacking the guttering system altogether. Two major purposes for guttering are to protect the integrity of the structure against moisture damage and to protect the integrity of the structure against the possibility of moisture attracting termites. – Forever Home Inspection
Test your plumbing
A very commonly overlooked item that we come across on a regular basis while performing home inspections is plumbing drain issues. We recommend running your faucets including your tub and showers, in your bathrooms and kitchens for a few minutes, and then while they are still running inspect the drain pipes under the sink and under the tub/shower if accessible. Look for leakage at the trap and any connections. Also while doing this make sure the sinks, showers, and tubs drain properly, and if not usually a simple small snake can clear the clog. Drain leaks and clogs are usually simple and cheap to repair but when found during a home inspection can scare potential new homeowners. – Home Guard Home Inspections
Make sure your drains are clean and clear in sinks, showers, tubs, etc. Also, make sure any accesses like attic and crawl spaces aren’t blocked and we can get to them easily. – Inspect TN
Mold
The most common thing we see when someone is selling their house is that a home inspector notes water stains or mold on the wooden floor joist in the crawlspace. Sometimes it is not a big deal like an appliance inside the house leaked down and created a water satin or a spot of mold. Other times we find mold on the beams due to high moisture contents or crawlspace floods. The homeowner doesn’t really know or expect an issue because going in the crawlspace is not a common place to frequent. – Mold & Mildew Solutions
Inspect the insulation
When buying or selling a [new] home one of the most important things to note is proper insulation and ventilation. When inspecting I like to pay extra attention to the envelope of the living space to make sure it is properly insulated and sealed at the openings to the exteriors (ie doors, windows, crawl doors, and scuttle access) along with a well-ventilated attic space. With these two factors properly established- your home is relatively sustainable and already headed in the right direction to enjoy for years to come. – Quantum Carolina Home Inspections
Electrical
In well over 90% of the home inspections I perform, electrical deficiencies are present. Since they are usually related to safety for the homeowner, they tend to be more of a concern, in my opinion. This may include exposed non-metallic conductors on the exterior, a lack of GFI or GFCI on outlets in required locations, and loose or damaged outlets. – Waco Home Inspections
Deck Safety
One of the most common DIY issues that we find during our inspections is missing lag bolts on deck ledger. About 90% of all deck failures are caused by the separation of the ledger board from the dwelling. Ledger boards should be properly anchored with lag bolts to ensure safety. You should talk to your home inspector before purchasing a home about the presence of lag bolts on the ledger board. – Parker Home Inspections
Keep an eye out for wood rot
Wood Rot – this is very common in homes 20 years old or more. It could be on the fascia or exterior trim. But don’t just try and hide it! Have it repaired properly. – Wise Home Inspections
Check your GFCI receptacles
Before putting the house on the market, the homeowner should exercise all the windows and GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) receptacles in the house. During the inspection, we make sure the windows open (and stay open) and close and lock as intended. When they haven’t been opened regularly, it’s common for them to become unable to open.
GFCI receptacles are meant to be tested MONTHLY! Most folks don’t know that, so when we perform a home inspection and we trip that receptacle, it sometimes doesn’t reset – which means there is no power to that receptacle until an electrician comes in to fix it. If the homeowner tests the GFCI receptacles before putting the house on the market and they don’t reset, they can get them fixed within their own timeframe and budget – without being stuck in a mad scramble after the inspection, to find an electrician who doesn’t charge an arm and a leg to get the work done within a few days. – LodeStar Inspection Services
Get a home energy audit
When looking to sell, and get the most for your home we advise the following evaluations and upgrades 1) Full Home Energy and Comfort Audit (this gives you a TRUE look at how your home is operating as a system and what to do to improve it for sale OR for your own comfort & savings!) 2) Insulation and Air Sealing (unless you have had this done in the past few years, your house more than likely needs it) 3) Ventilation (this goes hand and hand with insulation and air sealing) 4) Indoor Air Quality Check (make sure your home is safe! With the climate of the world today, this will be on the minds of ALL home-buyers) – Home Energy Medics
Sweat the small stuff
I would suggest that all home sellers perform typical maintenance to their home before listing it for sale. Change out filters, verify that all sinks, toilets, tubs and showers are working properly and not leaking, that all the lights are working. The exterior is painted and looking nice. These small things make the home show better and give the potential buyer a feeling that they are making a great decision on buying a well-cared for home. – Midlands Home Inspection
Fix things potential buyers will touch/operate as they tour your home. Tightening doorknobs, faucets, and ensuring doors and windows operate smoothly is essential. You can get your garage door serviced, replace loose or oddly acting light switches, and ensure all your light bulbs are in working order. Buyers touring home will touch all sorts of things and when they all function nicely and as expected it gives the appearance of a well-maintained house – Slab to Slate Home Inspections
