Correcting the following items early not only makes your home more attractive and desirable, it also simplifies the negotiation process when the time comes for the buyer’s pre-purchase inspection. A favourable home inspection report confirms the buyer’s good feeling about the home and helps to expedite the sale. Fixing even minor items can go a long way toward improving the sale of your home.
The steps below cover the most common deficiencies found in many houses in the NWT:
Ensure that all mechanical systems such as the furnace or boiler and the ventilation unit have been serviced by a certified technician within the past six months. Make the report/invoice available to the purchaser and to the inspector.
2. Check all plumbing fixtures for loose taps and toilets, and ensure that all fixtures are working properly.
3. Make sure basements and crawlspaces are dry. This may require installing sump pumps, a ventilation system and/or ground cover, if necessary.
4. Have a carpenter adjust all windows, doors and drawers to ensure they open and close smoothly.
5. Ensure that all smoke detectors and light fixtures are working properly. Replace low batteries and burnt out light bulbs.
6. Ensure that all ground fault protected receptacles in bathrooms and outdoor plugs are operating properly.
7. Check the attic space for signs of water leakage or condensation. Excessive condensation or signs of water leakage in an attic space may require further evaluation and repair.
8. Ensure that all flanges around the roof penetrations are caulked and ensure that broken shingles are sealed.
In addition, mobile homeowners should:
9. Check for wet or frozen insulation around the water and drain lines under the house. Repair any leaks and replace the wet insulation.
10. Ensure that all water and drain lines underneath the house are properly and evenly insulated with a moisture barrier to prevent winter freeze-ups.
11. Check for signs of water or ice in the “belly bag” under the house. Repair any leaks and replace wet insulation in the “belly bag”. All penetrations should be sealed.
12. Have Housecheck Professional Inspection Services Ltd. prepare a comprehensive pre-sale inspection report that you can show to prospective purchasers.