Agent: Maintaining a House Remains Important - Especially When it Comes to Selling

Homeownership may be the American Dream, but it comes with responsibilities and hard work. Maintaining the condition of that home is important to healthy living and ensures the value is maintained even in this market. Preparing a home for sale starts the day you buy it. 

There are problems that occur in many home inspections that should have been caught before putting a home on the market. 

In my years as a Realtor, I have found three basic problems consistent in many of the inspections that I have had done on homes that I have sold. Most of these problems could have and should have been discovered before developing into major problems if only the homeowner did a routine check.

Most prevalent has been infestations of rodents. Usually, a homeowner is unaware of any problem and is hit hard with the unexpected cost of clean up when in the process of selling. Cost estimates have ranged from $2,000 upwards to over $6,000, depending on the severity of the infestation and the size of the home. All of the insulation must be removed, the area sanitized and insulation replaced. All homes are suspect, not just new homes or homes close to major vegetation.

Signs of an infestation are a foul odor coming from the crawl space or the attic or rustling sounds. But, not noticing these signs does not mean that rodents are not making their way through small openings.  Checking the basement or crawl space should be on the regular list of duties for the homeowner.

While in the crawl space, remember to check for any sign of moisture or cracks in the foundation. Left untreated, moisture can lead to problems with the foundation, the walls or mold. Many times, cleaning the gutters or diverting the water away from the home solves this problem.

Roofs have the easiest problems to spot. Preventing leaks and extending the life of a roof takes work. Having the roof professionally cleaned at least every three years ensures that the material is in good shape and problems with flashing and missing or loose shingles can be found before problems develop.

These may be the most common problems, but certainly not the only ones. A home can be considered a living organism that needs regular checkups to maintain proper function and prevent costly bills if problems are left untreated.

Many of the homes I visit have a black line along the edge of the carpet which is never removed through cleaning. This is caused by the heating system drawing the dirt to the edge through the openings between the baseboard and the flooring. When replacing carpets, an easy way to prevent this black ring is to seal the opening with a foam type sealer available in any hardware store. It is a simple solution that increases the aesthetic value.

HouseMaster is an inspection company that has a good website that advertises itself as a "source for valuable information on buying, selling and owning a home." It is not the only one offering this type of information, but it does have several positive features.

One tool of the website is a homeowner quiz that highlights what the homeowner should be looking for to properly care for their investment.

Another tool allows the homeowner to see what repairs may be necessary based on the age of their home.