Inspection issues. Should you do a home inspection if you’re selling your home before putting your home on the market?

I get it, there’s so much to think about when selling it’s really hard to decipher what you should or shouldn’t do.

Hi, I’m John Herman with PropertyUp. and I’ve helped hundreds and hundreds of sellers prepare their homes for sale right here in the northwest suburbs…..

So why should you worry about having an inspection prior to putting your house on the market?

Well, I’ll tell you why. The home inspection on your home is just as important as the actual contract that you’re going to get. Almost every buyer on an accepted contract is going to be doing a home inspection.

Even the buyer’s Lenders recommend that they actually get one in most cases. The Home Inspection is designed to evaluate the general condition of the home and all of its mechanical systems. These inspections either make or break your deal in some cases and from my experience 20 to 30% of transactions fall out of the contract due to home inspections and alike under attorney review.

So spending a little time on these issues before your home goes under contract will save you time and money in the long run. Also knowing what repairs and the cost of the repairs that might come up will give you get a better understanding of what you will net from the sale. Let’s look at major issues that normally come up on the home inspection,

Number 1 is electrical issues. Make sure that all your outlets are GFCI is and that the switches work and replace any broken outlets or covers, also replace burned-out light bulbs to avoid negative observations from the home inspector like “light is inoperable.” as the inspection report may suggest there is an electrical problem…

Number 2 is water and plumbing issues. Make sure you don’t have any leaky faucets or signs of leaks under your cabinets.

Number 3 is the air conditioning unit you will want to clean or replace dirty HVAC air filters as well.

Number 4, test any carbon monoxide detectors and replace dead batteries.

Number 5 attends to any broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches, window panes, gutters, roof shingles, downspouts, and chimney caps. You will also want to take a look at the wood around your garage door on the bottom and the same with the trim around your front door, along with taking a look around your house for any other wood siding issues as that is a common area for the wood to rot out from moisture. It can easily be addressed and so don’t worry. Also be sure to remove stored items, garbage, and wood from underneath the home or in the crawlspace. These may be cited as conducive conditions for termites or they very well may have already termites on them. there are a few towns in the northwest suburbs that do have termites.

Number 6, be sure to trim back any trees that may be over or touching the house as that will be considered a path for animals to obtain access to your home.

Number 7, Doors, make sure that all of your doors open and close and lock easily. Garage doors are working safety features like sensors etc.

Lastly, be sure to recaulk around the tub shower and the countertops in the bathrooms and countertops in the kitchens……Checking these areas before your home inspection is an investment in selling your property. completing these items before an inspection will make the process much smoother

Feel free to call us here at the PropertyUp and if you’re thinking about selling your home in the northwest suburbs of Chicago We are experts here in the area and remember we here at PropertyUp are here to serve you make it a great day bye-bye.