Spring has sprung! Even more important than buds, birds, and bees, spring brings buyers! When buyers are looking for a place to nest, they would really rather not see problems. As it turns out, nearly every home inspected has problems or imperfections of some sort or size. Most issues are very minor and simple to correct. Almost all are a result of deferred maintenance. Most of these simple deferred maintenance problems, when discovered during
home inspection, cause majority of headaches when trying to bring a contract to close. With five quick checks described below it is probable that 90% or more of minor maintained items typically discovered in home inspection could be eliminated, and with them a great portion of time and stress associated with their correction:
Dirty Filter and Coils in Heat Pump. The clean and efficient flow of conditioned air as well as longevity of this very expensive system is dependant on proper airflow. A professional cleaning is most always well under $100. Routine filter replacement can be done by a homeowner for about a dollar.
Poor Caulking of Ceramic Tile in Tub and Shower Area. The cost to repair or replace a rotted shower wall often exceeds thousands of dollars. This is an avoidable event! A homeowner can accomplish caulking of tiled areas easily for under $20. If a crack in caulk or grout is visible, you can believe it's large enough for water to pass!
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) not Properly Functioning. GFCI's are electrical outlets that have "press" and "test" buttons. These devices are critically important in reducing chance for electrocution. The homeowner can test devices by pushing "test" button. The cost of a new GFCI is less than $10. They can be installed in less than 10 minutes.
