Smooth Selling: How an Inspection Can Put the Wind in Your Sails

Framingham MA

30 June, 2021

5:33 PM

Description

Smooth Selling: How a Home Inspection Can Put the Wind in Your Sails By Jason Sobol Six months or a year from now, you’ll be making a major change and selling your long-time family home. The house is tastefully decorated, and the kitchen and bathrooms are up-to-date—but could more basic structural issues knock down its value? If you’re depending on the sale to help fund your retirement, it pays to check on “the state of your estate.” That’s why many individuals and families complete pre-listing or pre-sale home inspections. These inspections can help them: Increase their home’s marketabilityIdentify and correct problems earlySet a realistic selling price (with input from realtors, too) An inspection is far more than a cursory walk-through; depending on your home’s size, expect it to last a minimum of two hours. Licensed inspectors scrutinize over 300 items in nine general categories—roofing, exterior, structural components, electrical, plumbing, heating, central air conditioning, interior, and insulation/ventilation. Using all their senses, from vision to smell, and sometimes technology like drones and infrared cameras, they probe the highest heights and the tiniest corners. Among the problems/issues they watch for are: Water damage—Whether from an ice dam or leaky bathroom plumbing, many harbingers of future damage can be detected so that you can prevent serious roadblocks (e.g., walls, floors or doors being ruined).Crumbling or cracked foundations—If a section needs to be lifted, the costs for the next buyers could be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Natural gas—Gas is a good heating choice. However, a leak in a pipe, exhaust from a furnace, boiler or water heater, or a blocked chimney could lead to deadly combustion.Asbestos—There is still some asbestos around pipes in older homes; buyers will be reassured if they walk into a home where it has been removed.Knob and tube wiring—This is both an electrical and fire hazard, and should be replaced before any buyers walk in.Window leaks and saggy floors—These could also be signs of potential structural damage that might deter a young family. Massachusetts Licensed Home Inspectors have studied and worked hard to develop the expertise to ferret out any issue. They have a minimum of 100 supervised inspections under their belt, as well as 25 as a participant/observer, and 75 hours of classroom study. They have also passed a National Inspectors Exam, and they complete ongoing professional education. Selling the family home is an opening to a new chapter in life. Will it be an exciting page turner? With a careful inspection, and advance repairs, you’ll be ready to write your own happy life story. Jason Sobol is a Massachusetts licensed and ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) certified inspector and the owner of Pheasant Hill Home Inspections. Contact him at [email protected] or 508-934-6535.