Patricia Grieco – Salesperson at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Before you can sell your home, a licensed home inspector will come and evaluate the entire property. The buyer usually pays for this inspection because they want to know what they are buying. The home inspector will go through the whole property and make detailed notes of every little thing and create a report at the end. If things don’t go well, the buyer may back out of the deal. That’s why a home inspection is very stressful for the selling party. Sometimes, costly repairs are too much, and the buyer does not want to purchase that property. To prevent this from ever happening to you as a seller, let’s talk about things that fail a home inspection in Ontario.
A home inspector will look at your home from top to bottom, checking plumbing, electrical wiring, and potential mechanical and structural issues. Let’s see what can cause the inspection to fail and what you can do to stop this proactively.
Problems with the roof
If we look at the process from a buyer’s perspective, they want to purchase a “forever home.” That means they are not planning on moving ever again. That’s why everything needs to be perfect.
One of the most common things that fail a home inspection in Ontario is roof problems. Therefore, replace any broken or missing shingles, and make sure to fix leaking spots.
Issues with drainage
Drainage issues cause foundation damage, and they can seriously jeopardize the safety of everyone in the house. They also lead to leaky basements. If you notice mildew or spongy soil, that can signify potential problems.
To fix this problem, you can add topsoil to grade the ground. You can create a 10-foot long slope around the house. Furthermore, repair gutters and downspouts to fix the problem with the water moving toward the foundation.
Fixing foundation issues
Hopefully, you won’t have to spend a lot of money fixing foundation issues. They are the most expensive ones to tackle by far. An excellent way to tell if your house has problems with the foundation is to check for any doors that stick when opening. Also, look for visible parts of the exterior foundation, cracks in the wall, or sloping floors.
Fixing minor foundation issues can be done with epoxy or silicone caulk. However, if you have more significant problems, it is better to hire a professional contractor. It might cost a bit more, but they will do the job correctly.
Deal with the pest infestation
One thing that can ruin staging your home while selling it is pests. They will put off any buyer, so deal with the problem immediately. Even though a home inspector will check the property for pests, buyers usually do another checkup just for the sake of their peace of mind.
Call a professional pest control company before the inspection, and take care of any issues with pests ahead of time. It is a perfect strategy to leave a good impression and speed up finding a potential buyer.
Plumbing issues
Plumbing issues that will fail a home inspection are:
These are severe issues, so make sure to address them as soon as possible. Replace the plumbing or at least deal with visible leaks. The idea is to reduce the repairs to a minimum.
Mold in your home
It is challenging to juggle between selling one home and buying another, even if there are no issues with your property. So if you find mold in your home, that only makes things more difficult. Selling the place will be more complicated, and that will only cause delays with buying a new house.
Mold is dangerous for your health, and it is usually a sign that you have problems with leaks around the house. Also, check humidity levels inside the house. If you are running your A/C too much, that can also cause mold to appear.
Issues with electrical wiring
Another serious issue that can fail a home inspection is a problem with electrical wiring. Some minor issues include missing junction boxes or damaged receptacles. But, you should also make sure that there are no damaged wires that can cause a fire. Replacing electrical wiring is an excellent way to take care of this problem. But, this is only necessary if you are selling a really old home.
Planning a relocation while selling your home
We already mentioned that it is challenging to manage the relocation while selling your home at the same time. This is even more true if you are moving long-distance to Ontario. Finding movers to help out and take care of the planning process is the best way to relieve some stress from your back. Long-distance moving experts can get you there safely, so you won’t have to worry about any difficulties during the relocation process. You can spend all of your time focusing on selling the place as quickly as possible.
Take care of these things that fail a home inspection in Ontario
A home inspection does not have to be stressful. If you take care of things that fail a home inspection in Ontario before the inspector arrives, you can relax. Be proactive and fix as many problems as possible. Just keep in mind that you don’t want to overspend here. It is essential to cut down the expenses, so you don’t have to fix everything. Just do the major repairs because they affect the price. Be sure to disclose whatever is left so the buyer has all of the information about future expenses. This is a good way to quickly close the deal and ensure that the buyer does not back out. As always, being transparent about the home’s condition is the best strategy. Good luck with selling your home quickly!