11 High Cost Inspection Traps You Should Know About Weeks Before Listing Your Home For Sale



 by Rob Andress

 Homebuyers want to know your home inside and out while homebuyers are as individual as the homes they plan on purchasing, one thing they share is a desire to ensure that the home they will call their own is as good beneath the surface as it appears to be. Will the roof end up leaking? Is the wiring safe? What about the plumbing? These, and others, are the questions that the buyers looking at your home will seek professional help to answer. According to industry experts, there are at least 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection. We've identified the 11 most common of these and, if not identified and dealt with, any of these 11 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair.

In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what you're looking for. Knowing what you're looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones. 11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection

1. Defective Plumbing Defective plumbing can manifest itself in two different ways: leaking, and clogging.A visual inspection can detect leaking, and an inspector will gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet. If you hear the sound of running water, it indicates that the pipes are undersized. If the water appears dirty when first turned on at the faucet, this is a good indication that the pipes are rusting, which can result in severe water quality problems.

2. Damp or Wet Basement An inspector will check your walls for a powdery white mineral deposit a few inches off the floor, and will look to see if you feel secure enough to store things right on your basement floor. A mildew odor is almost impossible to eliminate, and an inspector will certainly be conscious of it. It could cost you $200-$1,000 to seal a crack in or around your basement foundation depending on severity and location. Adding a sump pump and pit could run you around $750 - $1,000, and complete waterproofing (of an average 3 bedroom home) could amount to $5,000-$15,000. You will have to weigh these figures into the calculation of what price you want to net on your home.

3. Inadequate Wiring and Electrical Your home should have a minimum of 100 amps service, and this should be clearly marked. Wire should be copper or aluminum. Home inspectors will look at octopus plugs as indicative of inadequate circuits and a potential fire hazard.

4. Poor Heating and Cooling Systems Insufficient insulation, and an inadequate or a poorly functioning heating system, are the most common causes of poor heating. While an adequately clean furnace, without rust on the heat exchanger, usually has life left in it, an inspector will be asking and checking to see if your furnace is over its typical life span of 15-25 yrs. For a forced air gas system, a heat exchanger will come under particular scrutiny since one that is cracked can emit deadly carbon monoxide into the home. These heat exchangers must be replaced if damaged - they cannot be repaired.

5. Roofing Problems Water leakage through the roof can occur for a variety of reasons such as physical deterioration of the asphalt shingles (e.g. curling or splitting), or mechanical damage from a wind storm. When gutters leak and downspouts allow water to run down and through the exterior walls, this external problem becomes a major internal one.

6. Damp Attic Spaces Aside from basement dampness, problems with ventilation, insulation and vapor barriers can cause water, moisture, mold and mildew to form in the attic. This can lead to premature wear of the roof, structure and building materials. The cost to fix this damage could easily run over $2,500.

7. Rotting Wood This can occur in many places (door or window frames, trim, siding, decks and fences). The building inspector will sometimes probe the wood to see if this is present - especially when wood has been freshly painted.

8. Masonry Work Re-bricking can be costly, but, left unattended, these repairs can cause problems with water and moisture penetration into the home which in turn could lead to a chimney being clogged by fallen bricks or even a chimney which falls onto the roof. It can be costly to rebuild a chimney or to have it repainted.

9. Unsafe or Over-fused Electrical Circuit A fire hazard is created when more amperage is drawn on the circuit than was intended. 15 amp circuits are the most common in a typical home, with larger service for large appliances such as stoves and dryers. It can cost several hundred dollars to replace your fuse panel with a circuit panel.

10. Adequate Security Features More than a purchased security system, an inspector will look for the basic safety features that will protect your home such as proper locks on windows and patio doors, dead bolts on the doors, smoke and even carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom and on every level. Even though pricing will vary, these components will add to your costs. Before purchasing or installing, you should check with your local experts.

11. Structural/Foundation Problems An inspector will certainly investigate the underlying footing and foundation of your home as structural integrity is fundamental to your home. When you put your home on the market, you don't want any unpleasant surprises that could cost you the sale of your home.By having an understanding of these 11 problem areas as you walk through your home, you'll be arming yourself against future disappointment.



Rob Andress is the Broker of Record for MINCOM Island City Realty Inc. Brokerage. With over 25 years of professional real estate experience in Brockville Rob's knowledge in invaluable. Formore details on brockville real estate and homes for sale in brockville than please visit our website.

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Featured Online Travel Booking Services - All inclusive travel planning

If you are really tight on the budget, booking an all-inclusive holiday package can save you a big chunk of money. Because these all-inclusive package holiday companies have close ties with hotels & popular tourist spots in the country, they can get a better rate than you can! Hence, normally, the discounts & savings will be passed on to you - the all-inclusive holiday customers, tourists & visitors!

Ever tried to cram all your travel plans into one small budget & short schedule? If you have, you will know the true meaning of a frugal & haphazard holiday. Some people think that all-inclusive holiday packages leave very little space for them to have fun & there is no flexibility. But they're wrong.
You can save money with an all-inclusive holiday package


All-inclusive vacations are hassle-free

Planning a holiday can give you headaches! When you book an all-inclusive holiday package, you are actually giving yourself the chance to enjoy the holiday without having to worry about the nitty-gritty details. Your accommodation, food, entertainment & travelling are all taken care of. The only thing that you & your relatives members have to worry about is how much fun you are going to have during the holiday. Some tourists & vacationers like to get an all-inclusive holiday package because there is lack of time. Some people have to contend with last minute plans. The all-inclusive holiday packages can be real life savers in this instance. Even honeymooners love all-inclusive packages because they don't require to have to worry about meals, entertainment, activities, transportation & accommodation when they should be focused on each other!

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Cheap Airline Tickets: Great Ways To Save

A round-the-world trip remains the world's greatest journey. For two out of every three people, this is the ultimate travel experience, according to recent research. Needless to say, in a world obsessed by travel, travelers and travel agents are both looking for the cheapest tickets and airfares available.

Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.


If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one place to another, you have a particular airline on your mind and you have definite dates; then you can go directly to the source - to the ticket discount agency which buys cheap tickets in bulk from wholesalers and consolidators.

In real life most trips require more planning, and most people need a help from the agent to figure out what would be the best air ticket solution for their particular case. Cheap airfares to a particular region can often be found with local airlines that specialize in that country. Sometimes an agency that operates and retails tours to a particular country will have a discount agreement with the national carrier and will sell discount tickets on that airline.

With a bit of research through travel magazines aimed at the particular country of your choice, you can often find agencies dealing with national carriers for that country. For the cheapest possible airfare to many places the most affordable prices are often found in local travel agencies that deal with a particular destination selling round-trip discount airline flights - most likely to the capital of that country and a few main cities.

Sometimes you can find a really cheap air ticket with a discount retail agency that specializes in trips to a wider range of destinations or to multiple destinations. Through the sheer number of tickets that they sell they can command a reasonable discount. However, keep in mind that most advertised prices do not include taxes, luggage fee and airport tax, so the cheap airfare may end up being not so cheap. Best to read the small print to clarify exactly what you are getting before you purchase a ticket.

Another trick of the trade is for agencies to grab attention by indicating the lowest possible prices, which only apply on specific dates in low season. You’ll find that all agencies do this, even the most expensive ones so, don’t be surprised if you get a quote at double the price from what was displayed in the ad.

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Pick A Hotel With Personality!

What does individuality mean in the hotel industry? As far as boutiques are concerned, it’s not just about being a little bit quirky; hanging modern art on the walls, sticking some designer chairs in the rooms or making all the fittings stainless steel. It’s about a design theme that runs through the hotel from start to finish and affects everything from the cushions on the sofas to the dessert menu in the restaurant.

Location

Where does the inspiration for this individuality and personality come from? For some hoteliers, it comes from the location. It’s unsurprising that boutique beach hotels are clean and simple, bringing the colours and textures of the coast into the building and using architectural design to allow guests to feel at one with the sea; large windows, folding doors and seawater pools for example. In contrast, small hotels that are based in cities often reflect either the present-day energy or the historic past of their location. Through the use of rich colours or minimal materials, antique furniture, period art and a variety of textiles, designers can create a hotel that truly reflects its location.

Culture

Many hotels show influences from different cultures – and not always from the culture that’s readily associated with the hotel’s location. Therefore, New England simplicity or Asian colours and textures can show up in hotels in London or Sydney and work well, as long as the concept is properly thought through and sensitively carried out. Extending a cultural theme to rooms and cuisine often requires a lot of research, particularly when it comes to sourcing the right furniture and accessories, but if the end result is a truly individual hotel, then the preparation is worthwhile.

Community

A true boutique hotel becomes an intrinsic part of the local community, and this is part of its individuality. Chain hotels are just places to stay; boutique hotels are places to be – whether it is locals using the restaurant or trendy city workers drinking in the bar; using the produce from the farm down the road or sharing spa facilities with a local retreat, boutique hotels make a real effort to integrate into their local community rather than being set apart from it.



Sincerely

Roger K. Olsson