Karl’s Top Three Tips for the Month of May
THE DILEMMA
The Seller wants to sell and the buyer wants to buy, BUT
The Seller doesn’t want to spend a bundle of money to fix every little thing, BUT
The buyer wants to know “What’s wrong with this house?”
The buyer orders an Inspection Report (from me, of course). If the Inspection Report lists a multitude of problems, the buyer may have second thoughts about closing the deal, especially if many of those items are in my NEEDS IMMEDIATE CORRECTION section instead of the CONSIDER FOR FUTURE MAINTENANCE section of the Executive Summary page of the Report. Honest and competent inspectors (like me, of course) will list everything of real concern but not inflate their egos by padding the report with nit-picky items.
KARL’S SOLUTION
Sellers can inexpensively and quickly prevent some serious items from reaching the list. My top three tips for the month of May involve water channeling toward the foundation.
#1. Rake the soil next to the home so that rain and sprinkler water drain away from the house. Careful. It is not good for soil to touch the wood parts of the structure.
#2. Insure that rain gutter downspouts direct water well away from the foundation. Hoses that slip over the bottom of the downspout or splash pans that slip under the spout are affordable fixes.
#3. Uncovered driveways, walks, or patios that abut the house that are flat or have even the smallest slope toward the building, should be caulked at the joint next to the foundation wall. A tube of sealer costs only a few dollars.
You now have three ways to beat the inspectors (like me, of course) at their own game. I hope the deal closes, and the buyers are happy for weeks and years after they move in.