Thinking of selling your home in the Edmonton area? It’s a wise move to have a home inspector come check your place, professionally, before you list it to sell. It’s better to have your home inspected and repaired before you sell it, rather than having prospective buyers “discover” problems that may turn them off from buying the home and/or closing the sale.

A home inspector checks several things, looking for more than 30 physical problems with the home. They’re aware of local codes, community restrictions and residential permit parameters.

Some of the common things you and/or your home inspector can check include electrical wiring, plumbing, the foundation/house frame, and the roof.

In older homes, wiring may not be “up-to-code.” If it’s considered a fire hazard, it will need to be replaced with a more modern system. Inspectors look for ungrounded outlets, frayed wiring, and wires tangled in a messy ball in the electrical panel.

As for plumbing, it’s important to check for water damage in the ceilings. You could have a leaky upstairs bathtub or sink. Also, look around toilets and inside kitchen cabinets to check for wet floors or wet wood. Whether external or internal, water leaks need to be fixed before you sell a home.

Over time, the ground below a house can shift, so inspectors need to check a home’s foundation and framing to make sure it’s not cracked, rotted, full of termites, or about to cave in.

Finally, a roof is typically replaced about every 20 years. If you notice bare spots or any places where water is leaking in (often near a chimney), either a section of the roof needs patching up, or, if the roof is old and worn, a new roof would be both aesthetically pleasing and functional, too.

Remember, buyers are looking to do as little work as possible on their new home. Having your home inspected and repaired before you sell it is a smart idea.

Post by Alexis Hlady