Top 10 Issues To Remedy Before Marketing Your Home

If you're starting to think about selling your home, you'll want to be proactive in your preparations for getting the house ready so that you can get top dollar for your investment. You can count on the potential buyer to have a professional inspection done on the home, so plan ahead and address these top 10 issues before you even put the house on the market. 

These things won't hit your wallet hard if you take care of them in advance, but they are the types of issues that fuel negotiations and lower selling prices when found on buyer inspection reports!

1. Smoke Detectors: Be sure that the home has functioning smoke detectors installed in all of the important places! You'll need one in every bedroom and each hallway or access point into every bedroom or sleeping area. It is recommended that you have at least one smoke detector on every level of the home. These should usually be installed on the ceiling of the room or hallway.

2. Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Similar to smoke detectors, you will need a functioning carbon monoxide, or CO, detector outside each sleeping area. You must have one on every level of the home. Unlike smoke from a fire which rises, carbon monoxide mixes with air and can behave in a manner almost like pooling water, creating a pocket of toxic gas in a specific room or area of the house. There are various theories in regard to placement of a CO detector in a room, but most seem to agree that placing your CO detector three to five feet off the floor, and away from any furniture obstructions, is best. 

3. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter: You will want to have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) units installed in all bathrooms, the kitchen, outside receptacles, and garage receptacles. These devices help protect against electrocution by monitoring the electrical current flow and cutting it off if triggered. 

4. Window Screens: You will want to be sure that all window screens are securely installed.

5. Nail Heads: You will want to caulk all nail heads on roof vents, plumbing vents, and roof flashing to prevent moisture intrusion. 

6. Water Heater: Be sure that your home's water heater has seismic straps properly installed to protect against damage in the event of an earthquake. 

7. Outdoor Vegetation: Trim all outside vegetation away from contacting the sides of the house.

8. Clearance to Major Systems/Spaces: Be sure that there is safe and proper access clearance to your electrical panel, water heater, furnace, and into the attic and/or crawlspace. 

9. Aesthetics: Be sure to repair any areas of chipped or peeling paint, trim work, the deck, etc. These may seem trivial, but will be noted in a professional home inspection and would likely become a point for the buyer to negotiate on price. 

10. Windows: Repair or replace any fogged or failed/broken windows. Again, these can easily become a point for lowering the purchase price on a home.

Details Home Inspections in Vancouver Washington provides sellers with peace of mind through Pre-Listing Seller's Inspections. 

If you're preparing to sell your home, consider giving Brian a call at 360-823-3034 or contact him online to schedule an appointment. Brian is a certified professional home inspector with Details Home Inspections and is highly experienced. You'll receive a detailed and unbiased report of all inspection findings which can help you prepare your home to sell at the best price possible! 

11th Month Builder's Warranty Home Inspections

Details Home Inspections is a Vancouver Washington home inspection company providing quality inspections to Vancouver, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield, Woodland, and all of Clark County WA. We provide home buyer inspections, pre-listing/seller inspections, new construction and phase inspections, multi-family dwelling inspections, warranty inspections on new construction homes, and radon testing. In this blog post, we're going to focus on 11th Month Builder's Warranty Inspections.

Most home builders offer a one year warranty on new construction homes. Many home owners make the mistake of becoming complacent and trusting that their newly built home is settling well when this may not be the case. It's worth a professional 'second look'. 

One area of specialty for Details Home Inspections is the 11th Month Builder's Warranty Home Inspection. Schedule an 11th month inspection with us and we'll come perform a full inspection before the builder's warranty expires.

Our home inspections are non-invasive and observations will be made of the visible and apparent condition of the interior and exterior of the structure, including major systems and all components. Most home inspections last approximately 2.5 to 4 hours. You are not required to be present but we encourage your attendance as the inspector will happily relay information to you about any concerns and can even give advice on potential costs and/or avenues of repair or replacement and things to watch out for when dealing with your home builder. 

This is a great opportunity to really get to know your house, inside and out, and learn its strengths and weaknesses in order to manage proper and proactive home maintenance for years to come.

Upon conclusion of the inspection, you'll receive a full report including photos and information on any material defect within the structure at the time of inspection. Armed with this information, you will be able to contact your home builder to have them manage the repair or replacement of any necessary flaws or defects while the home is still under the builder's warranty.

If you'd like to schedule your 11th Month Builder's Warranty Home Inspection, contact us today! You can find our contact info here, or give us a call at 360-823-3034. We take pride in the services we offer and hope that we can help you out by providing a professional home inspection in Vancouver WA or Clark County.

Lead-based Paint Can Make You Sick

Details Home Inspections in Vancouver WA is frequently asked about lead-based paint. It’s one of the things we know we don’t want in our home even if we don’t quite know what it is or what it does.

What exactly is lead?

Lead is a naturally occurring element that’s found just about everywhere. It possesses many qualities that make it ideal for the construction industry.

There’s only one problem. Lead is a neurotoxin. It’s very bad for humans and animals. It’s especially dangerous to children and pregnant women.

If it’s so toxic why is it in paint?

Lead’s toxicity wasn’t really known until the 19th century. It was used in paint because it’s opaque and water resistant.

Does the paint in my house have lead?

If your home was built after 1978 it probably doesn’t have lead-based paint. The older the home the greater chance it has of containing lead-based paint.

Lead-based paint isn’t necessarily going to make your family sick. Problems arise when lead-based paint begins to deteriorate. When that happens, dust is created. The dust, which contains lead, is inhaled and that’s when people get sick.

Young children tend to put things in their mouths and/or bite things. So, any place covered in lead-based paint that a child might bite, for example, a window sill or door frame, can also be hazardous.

If you think your home may have lead-based paint, contact Details Home Inspections in Vancouver WA to have the professionals check it out!

Details Home Inspections Offers Radon Testing

Details Home Inspections offers a variety of services. One of the most important services they offer is radon testing.

This service is important because radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. In fact, radon is believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer.

As if being carcinogenic wasn’t bad enough, radon is also odorless, tasteless, and invisible. It can be in your home and you won’t even know it’s there.

Radon is produced by decaying uranium. It’s practically everywhere including in homes. Experts believe one in fifteen homes has a radon problem.

You’ll find radon in the soil and air. The problem isn’t necessarily being exposed to radon, but being exposed to elevated levels for extended periods.

Radon enters your home through the soil. It seeps through pores in your foundation and gaps in your floors and walls.

While most new construction requires radon mitigation, any home can experience high levels of radon. That’s why it’s important to have your home tested for radon.

Fortunately, testing for radon gas is easy and inexpensive. A short-term test will be done to learn if further testing is needed.

To have your home tested for radon, contact Details Home Inspections. We provide radon testing in Vancouver WA that you can count on.

What Does a Home Inspector Do?

 

Details Home Inspections is a professional home inspector in Vancouver WA that believes that your new home is a very important investment.  Having a home inspection is an indispensable part of the home-buying process! Making this purchase without one is very much the same as buying a car without even taking a test drive or kicking the tires.

As you go through the process of buying a new home, your real estate agent will likely recommend you include a home inspection clause upon making an offer so you know if there are any expenses to expect once the home becomes yours.

So now you know that hiring a home inspector is a good idea when purchasing a new home, and you may be wondering how to go about the process…  To help get you started, today we will be discussing some do’s and don’ts of home inspection!

But first, let us explain what residential home inspectors do!

Below are some of our inspection services at Details Home Inspections:

·    Home buyer inspections

·    Pre-listing inspections

·    New construction/phase inspections

·    Multi-family dwelling inspections

·    One year warranty services

·    Radon testing

To help you in the process, it is our goal to make sure that you know exactly what you are getting in your home purchase through taking an objective visual evaluation of its physical structure and systems. 

Here are a few “do’s” to remember about your home inspection report: 

· Do remember that in terms of issues, the perfect home simply does not exist. It is not uncommon for a report to have multiple issues.

· Do expect the process to take between 2-3 hours depending on the size, condition, and age of the home.

· Do remember that when it comes to your new home, there is no “pass” or “fail.” Our inspection is meant to provide you with the information you need to decide whether or not to go back to the seller with a list of fixes, buy the home as is, or walk away from the deal.

· Do follow your home inspector as they investigate the home.  This way you can receive a real-time explanation of the conditions that are found within the home, along with what needs to be fixed right away and what can wait. 

When it comes to a quality home inspection, here are a few “don’ts” to remember:

· Don’t try to forgo the professionals by doing the inspection yourself! Not only is it difficult to determine all the electrical, plumbing, and structural problems without experience, but there are also emotional factors that come with buying a new home. 

· Don’t just hire the first home inspector you find!  Your real estate agent can probably recommend someone who will do a good job, and reading customer reviews is always a good idea.

· Don’t expect your home inspection to be a warranty. The report you receive identifies the issues found the day of inspection and does not predict any future problems that could arise a few months or a few days down the road.

So if you are starting to search for a home, don’t go it alone! A comprehensive home inspection can save you a great deal of hassle and money in potential problems, and help you get the best deal possible on your new home!  

Work with one of our experienced home inspectors in Vancouver WA to make sure there are no surprises along the way! Contact us today to find out what secrets your dream home might be hiding!