If you’re considering selling your house, a home inspection can help you zero in on problems that you may need to fix before putting it on the market. Home buyers have the opportunity to pay for their own inspection but ideally, there would be nothing on the report that you wouldn’t already be aware of. This is especially true if one of the following major problems causes your potential buyers to withdraw their offer.

Foundation Troubles

Home inspectors are trained to search for signs of foundation issues both indoors and outdoors. Some things that an inspector may search for are :
◾ Doors or windows that won’t latch or that jam
◾ Cracks in the walls over doorways
◾ Chipping in the concrete exterior of the foundation
◾ Level posts in the basement
◾ L-shaped or horizontal cracks in the foundation

Replacing the foundation of an older home can cost around $40,000. Smaller fixes could be as low as $1,500 but potential home buyers are more likely to walk away than deal with the problem.

Pest Dilemmas

Another item that home inspectors will check for is evidence of a pest infestation. Termites, mice, rats, roaches, and bed bugs are invaders that may not be seen in plain view and can do serious damage to your home or to your health. If the appropriate actions aren’t taken right away, extermination and repairing the damage can be costly. Hiring a quarterly pest control service, like American Pest Control Inc., tailored to preventing possible infestations and helping to exterminate any existing problems is the best way to keep home buyers interested.

Older Furnace

A furnace that is 25 years or older may be nearing the end of its life. While replacing an older furnace will not increase the value of your home, it can help to keep buyers interested. Because a furnace can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000 including installation, home buyers would probably prefer to pass than potentially have that big of a repair cost hanging over their head right after moving in.

Faulty Roof

Leaky roofs can cause problems for home buyers trying to get a mortgage, not to mention the other damage that the leaking can cause. An older roof is not generally a cause for a buyer to ask for a price reduction, but a faulty roof is. The price of replacing a roof varies depending on house size but can start around $10,000. This is another cost that the new homeowner may not want to deal with and will, therefore, check out other buying opportunities.

Failing a home inspection is burdensome, especially if you want to sell your home. Being proactive about watching for these potential issues and preventing small problems from turning into big disasters can go a long way towards helping you pass a home inspection.

Major Problems That Will Make You Fail Your Home Inspection by Brooke Chaplan | Realty Biz News