How to prepare for a home inspection

Thursday, February 22, 2018

How to prepare for a home inspection

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So you’ve decided to sell your home and, before you know it, it goes under contract. Before the deal can close, though, you’ve got to pass a home inspection.

A home inspection contingency is present in most real estate contracts to allow the buyer to back out should any major issues become apparent. It’s at this stage that many deals fall through. So, with so much at stake, it just makes sense to thoroughly prepare your property in advance. Making these preparations will save you a lot of negotiation and repair work down the road.

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Preparing your property before it’s inspected will save you a lot of negotiation and repair work down the road.

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The following areas are where unpleasant surprises often arise and, ultimately, either kill the sale or cost the seller a lot of money:

The roof. Repairs to the roof can be very expensive. If you think your home may need a new roof, consider taking care of it before listing your property on the market. With all the hail damage we get in our area, these repairs might be covered by your insurance.
The heating and cooling system. Regardless of the season, a home inspector will want to make sure the heating and cooling systems are in good shape. I highly advise hiring a professional prior to your inspection to uncover any issues beforehand.
Electrical issues. Making sure your electrical systems are up-to-code before the inspection is critical because electrical violations are both common and easy to spot. Also, faulty wiring is a fire hazard. The sooner you address these issues, the safer your home will be.
The plumbing. Plumbing problems can cause your deal to go down the drain. So, never put these issues off.
Water damage. Even if you don’t have an active leak, stains on ceilings are often signs of previous problems. Though this past issue may have been as harmless as an overflowing toilet, buyers will suspect the worst if they see signs of water damage. Always fix any current leaks in your home and cover signs of previous ones.

So, if you plan on selling your home, you may want to consider having a pre-inspection performed. This can help uncover any of the issues we’ve discussed today.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why Work with Us

I moved to Colorado Springs in 1992 as a member of the US Army. I fell in love with the area and never left. I will listen to your needs and want to establish our goals and objectives. We work as a team to meet the goals and you will continually be in the loop during the entire process. In this fast paced market, I believe communication is key in meeting our goals and building our relationship. Because I have been here for 18 years in 3 different careers, my experience will make your move as smooth as possible.

Jeff Ryder
Keller Williams Real Estate
1257 Lake Plaza Drive, Suite 200 Colorado Springs, CO 80906 JeffRyder@kw.com

Testimonials

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testimonials from happy clients

Beth - "I moved to Colorado in the middle of September. We decided to bring my son in law down there to make sure he wanted to live there. We looked around and saw his name on a house. We called about it and we moved in like a month later. He is great, he was always friendly and calls often to see how we are doing. He always sends stuff in the mail for free dinners and stuff like that. He is the best. He is so sweet and kind, and he tells you the truth. That is the main thing I like."

Diane - "We both bought and sold a home with Jeff Ryder. When I first contacted him, he made an appointment right away and came over. He was able to sell my house in a week and half! The buyers wanted to move in right away so I told Jeff what I was looking for and he showed me a condo that I liked and ended up buying. I was anxious to make a full price offer on it, but he suggested that we wait until he was able to get comps from the neighborhood. He put in an offer that was less than what I was willing to pay for it which showed a lot of integrity on his part because his commission could have been more."

Kristin - "He had reached out and our house was under contract and that contract expired before it sold. He had reached out, I was happy with the terms of the contract, and felt confident going forward with him. Also, he was successful in selling it. His assistant was excellent, took care of all the different aspects, closing, they were very responsive and easy to work with for sure. As a team they were great! He is responsive, trustworthy, knows how to showcase a house in the right way and also very effective."

The Marchs - "We discussed pricing and marketing conditions and then Jeff came up with a sell-able price which we were happy with. We sold it in 6 weeks and before we had it with Jeff, it was on the market for 2 years so he did really well! We was particularly impressed with his team and we saw Jeff in every aspect of the transaction. It just speaks to his good management skills!"