If you are likely to sell your property, you probably understand that any potential buyer is likely to need a professional home inspector to inspect your house to spot any potential issues inside your home. This can be a difficult time as most homes do have problems that have developed as time passes. Let's take a glance at some of the most frequently found conditions that home inspectors typically find. You might be able to fix many of these problems before a house inspection is done.

1. Plumbing

Plumbing will be the #1 problem that home inspectors get in a house. Take a look around your house for just about any exposed pipe and check for just about any kind of water leak. It's easy to do. Check out every faucet for leaks, especially the water link to your washing machine... this can be frequently a challenge.

A special note here: If the home was built between 1978 - 1995, check to see if the plumbing is using polybutylene pipe. Polybutylene pipe was popular during this time period because it was inexpensive. It's gray in color and appears like plastic. If you have polybutylene pipe, it's really a major red flag on any home inspection report since this form of pipe deteriorates and fails.

2. Electrical

The next most frequently found problems by home inspectors are electrical. Home inspectors will find a large amount of electrical outlets which can be loose or perhaps fail. New owners will want these repaired.

In addition, home inspectors points out if key electrical outlets, including those in your home, are GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) circuits. These are a form of electrical socket which will turn off when there is an abrupt surge in electrical current. In new construction, they are often required in certain rooms of the house such as bathrooms, kitchen, and then for any outdoor sockets.

Improperly wired breaker boxes is another frequent problem. Sometimes the breakers being used would be the wrong size or they simply won't fit properly. This can be a big concern in older homes which have not undergone an update.

3. Heating

Most homeowners believe that they simply have to alter the filters with their home heating every couple of months. Audience may choose to find out if annual maintenance continues to be maintained around the heating system. Leaks in the piping or within the unit could cause dangerous gas leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning. This can be a critical inspection point for home inspectors.

home inspectors knoxville

4. Roof

Problems on the top or inside attic often be visible on home inspection reports. Normally, it costs greater than $1500 annually to heat and cool a home. Not having enough insulation inside the attic can be a problem that leads to raised energy costs. Insulation requirements vary by geographic region, and so the easiest thing to do is go surfing and search for insulation calculators for the region.

In your roof, torn and cracked shingles certainly are a major problem that's often found. But also, home inspectors often find flashing that has not been properly installed, allowing water to seep into the house. Inspect and proper these issues before a specialist home inspection is completed.

knoxville association of realtors

5. Drainage

Home inspectors usually see issues with drainage. They frequently find the grading around your house doesn't carry the lake away properly during times of heavy rain. The lake will "pool" across the foundation and often seep in. For those who have water spots around the interior wall of your basement, this is usually a critical problem which needs to be corrected.

Home inspectors also say that they find many gutter systems which do not carry water far enough from your house. That means, it may "pool" facing your home's foundation allowing the lake to seep in. For this reason the gutters were originally installed, so ensure the gutters usually are not stopping a few feet short.

Getting your house able to sell involves more than just giving your house a cleaning. Check the things out that's in the above list and you will head-off lots of surprises that can appear when you're wanting to close the deal. And, do not forget, when you're ready for a professional home inspection, find one which has had numerous years of experience and recommendations to select that experience.