We all have our reasons why we want to sell our house. No matter what that reason is, we must know how to attract more potential buyers to increase our chances of closing a deal. If you don’t have the funds for home improvement and beautification, merely inspecting it and repairing damages is essential.
A house with plenty of damages will be difficult to sell, even at a lower price. That’s why you must conduct a thorough inspection of its structure and systems to ensure that you won’t have a problem with the next homeowners. This article will help prepare your home for a sale.
What to Inspect
You don’t want to spend nights planning how to wisely use the money you will earn only to end up not making the sale because your house didn’t pass the buyer’s inspection. To avoid issues on your sale falling apart, below are the things you need to inspect.
Mold
There are many structural damages caused by mold, so this is also the first thing buyers inspect when checking out a house. Mold is often caused by moisture, and it usually hides in places that are out of your reach. Be sure to check your basement, attic, bathroom, and walls for any mold buildup. If you don’t know how to locate or fix it, call a mold remediation expert as soon as you can. You may have to shell out a few of your extra bucks, but you can guarantee that your home sale pulls through.
HVAC System
The next thing you need to inspect is your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. This often lasts for about 15 years when maintained properly. If you’ve been living in your home for a long time and you haven’t had it replaced, find a contraction and have your HVAC system replaced. This is exceptionally important for those who live in areas with eccentric climates. Potential home buyers tend to look for the HVAC system’s quality to ensure that they get through the harsh weather conditions.
Radon
Try to find documents regarding the soil where your house stands on. If it’s built on top of the soil with high uranium concentrations, you’re more likely to have radon gas contaminating the air. This dangerous chemical is released when the uranium in the soil breaks down, and it can cause lots of negative health effects, with some cases leading to poisoning. This may be one of the most expensive things you need to remediate, ranging from around $1,000 to $1,500. If you don’t have that much budget for home repairs, get a quotation from an expert and divulge the information to the new buyer, and maybe you can cut the costs from the overall value of your home.
Well Water
Be sure to locate where your home’s water is coming from. It may be a concern for potential buyers if your water comes from a well and you don’t have any form of a water filtration system. Well water often gathers lots of harmful chemicals from deep within the soil, such as lead, iron, and arsenic. This can lead to different medical complications and can even cause damage to your pipe. Depending on the number of contaminants in your water source, you may only need a water filter, but worse cases may need to have their entire plumbing system replaced.
Septic System
Potential buyers wouldn’t take your word for it. They want to guarantee that your home’s septic system works properly. Even though it has functioned properly for years, one minor leak in a septic system can cause your home sale to fall apart. Some states even require a septic system certification before allowing you to sell your property. To avoid this problem, be sure to have the septic tank, distribution box, and leach field inspected before putting your house on sale.
Pests/Bugs
Aside from the uneasy and disturbing feeling of seeing pests or bugs around your home, they can also cause structural problems, especially if your house has termites. One major concern about this is that the symptoms are often difficult to spot because pests hide in unlit areas of your home. Be sure to contact pest control professionals to fix infestations and prepare somewhere around $100 to $270 to pay for their services.
Your house has been your home for years, and maybe even decades. Unfortunately, this can sometimes mean that you are oblivious to some of its issues. Potential buyers want your place to be their next home, which is why it’s only understandable that they want a house with little to no problems. Help them out and close a sale by conducting a thorough inspection of your entire house.
