5 Structural Problems You Must Fix Before You Sell Your Home

Written by  //  December 31, 2014  //  Home Repair  //  Comments Off on 5 Structural Problems You Must Fix Before You Sell Your Home

Before you can consider placing your home on the market for sale, you should do a thorough self-inspection of the house. Any prospective buyer will have a professional conduct a detailed inspection prior to closing the deal. You can avoid hassle and delays during the sale process by remedying some common structural issues beforehand.

Foundation Problems

Most states require that sellers disclose any known foundation issues. Foundation issues are generally easy to detect during an inspection, manifesting through crooked door frames, window panes separating from the frames, cracking walls or warped floors. Although foundation issues can be expensive to repair, you may not be able to sell your house without performing this important maintenance task.

Shoddy Remodels

If you skimped on past structural remodels and did not meet local building or workmanship codes and standards, now is a good time to reinvest in these projects. If you didn’t use licensed and qualified contractors, you now need to have licensed professionals do the repairs. Most home inspectors will ask for these records during the course of their structural examination.

Insufficient Insulation

Inspectors protect the best interests of their clients when scrutinizing your house. Energy costs are on the rise, so many inspectors now check the insulation that is present in houses to ensure maximum energy efficiency. If your house is older, you will need to consider bringing your insulation up to current standards before an inspection.

Improper Outlets

If your house is missing ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets around the kitchen and bath areas, it is imperative that these be replaced before an inspection. The last thing you want is to be liable for accidents or injuries due to faulty and unsafe electrical components in the house.

Roofing Issues

Roofing leaks not only cause water damage, they can also present a danger if not quickly repaired. Leaks can cause electrical damage, weaken structural supports and allow dangerous mold to grow. Home inspectors will assess your house for signs of water damage, so it’s important to contact an experienced roofer from places like T. Simpson Roofing to survey your home for possible repairs.

Termites

Although technically a pest, termites can cause severe and lasting structural damage to your house. Inspectors invariably search for signs of termites, so you should take the initiative of having a pest control company examine your house prior to selling. Luckily, a termite problem is fairly easy to detect and inexpensive to treat.

Inspectors and buyers alike realize that no house is in pristine condition. Most problems are negotiated before escrow, or money is provided in the final sale to remedy issues. Having an inspection performed allows the seller and the buyer to realize important points of negotiation. By fixing these five major structural issues before attempting to sell your house, you will begin the negotiation process with more points in your favor. Every dollar you invest in your house will be returned to you in the final sale, with value added.

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