It’s the rare real estate closing that happens these days without a home inspection, which is most often the reason and place where home sales move to closing or negotiations fall apart.

So, if you’re serious about selling your home and getting the highest price possible for it , pay attention to the following 10 things revealed in a survey of home inspectors that can cost you time and money or even derail your sale.

Note that many of these are related to water in and around your home, so pay attention to any place where water can enter and damage your home.

Improper Drainage/Grading: This is the most common problem, and one thing that will send buyers onto the next home, quickly. Make sure the exterior grade always slopes away from the foundation.

Improper or Outdated Wiring: This problem occurs mostly in older homes where wiring is old, and often, insufficient for today’s modern household needs. Even a newer home, especially one that has an addition wired by an amateur, can have improper wiring and resulting safety issues.

Roof Problems: Old, damaged shingles or failing flashing around chimneys and vents causes leaks, and numerous problems inside, including structure rot, mold and electrical shorts.

HVAC Issues: Broken or malfunctioning controls, improper ventilation and blocked or dirty filters cost dollars and wear and tear on your system.

General Maintenance: Even first time homebuyers these days are turned off by broken appliances or fixtures, dirty walls or flooring, amateur plumbing/electrical work, torn or broken screens, windows or doors, and chipped or peeling paint.

Foundation and Other Structural Problems: Cracked or shifting foundations, support beams, joists, band and seal or rafter rot, and loose window and door frames signal serious problems usually caused by one of the previous issues.

Plumbing Problems: Failing septic systems or lines, old pipes and materials, leaky joints, and broken or worn-out fixtures are fundamentals that must be addressed.

Exterior Maintenance: Cracked or missing siding materials, deteriorating windows and doors, broken, missing or leaking gutters and downspouts, while perhaps not foundational, often signify lack of proper sealing, weather stripping and general maintenance, and allow for unwanted water and air entrance into the home.

Ventilation: While appropriate exterior sealing is important, over-sealing can result in excessive moisture retention inside, which can in turn cause rot, mold and systems failure.

Miscellaneous: This category is a compendium of numerous interior issues, mostly cosmetic, which were not found in the survey in sufficient numbers to warrant their own category, but which nonetheless signify that any worn, unkempt, or broken feature causes buyers to question the value of your home.

Certainly, the age of a home plays significantly in potential problems to be uncovered in a home inspection, as will regional environmental factors and the regular maintenance of your home. Regardless, unless you’re knowledgeable in all these facets, it might pay off for you to have a professional home inspection and correct problems before you put your house on the market.

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Article Source: The Top 10 Things Every Seller Should Know About Home Inspections

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The Top 10 Things Every Seller Should Know About Home Inspections