The following are not necessarily "major problems", but are items that come up often on inspection reports. If you are concerned about repair items that might come up, it makes sense to get an inspection prior to putting your home on the market.
Or, you could have a handyman check your house for small problems, and get them fixed before you go on the market. Be sure to review our page on the Seller's Disclosure before putting your home on the market.
Structural Systems
- Improperly installed roof flashings
- Tree limbs less than 3 feet from roof
- Shingle damage
- Exterior siding and or trim is weather and water damaged
- Shower tile is cracked or has cracked grout
- Fogged windows
- Soil too high relative to foundation
- Plants growing too close to brick or siding
- Stair rails are too far apart
- Minor cracks in brick or stone mortar
- Doors or windows need minor adjustment
- Some repairs needed to mortar on top of chimneys
Electrical Systems
- Breakers not labeled
- Lack of covers on all light bulbs
- Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, GFCI, not installed in all appropriate locations
- Smoke alarms not installed in all suitable locations
- Light bulbs not installed in fixtures or burned out
- Breakers double loaded
HVAC Systems
- Flexible gas line connectors installed through the furnace housing
- Air conditioning units not cooling properly
- Missing or worn out insulation on condensation pipes inside of the house
- Refrigerant lines, electrical cables and junction boxes inside the return air plenums
- Holes or loose tape on attic air ducts
- Secondary drain lines not installed
- Building code now requires that new heat/AC systems must have an SEER rating of at least 13.
Plumbing Systems
- Backflow preventers not present on all exterior faucets
- Shower diverters do not operate properly
- Drain stops do not function
- Water heaters lack a safety pan and drain
- Faucets leak at the base
- Toilets rock slightly
Appliances
- Dishwasher lacks a backflow loop in the discharge hose.
- Anti tip device not installed on the range / oven.
- Oven temperature more than 25 F out of range when tested at a 350 F
Other systems
- Garage doors, equipped with door openers, which do not have the mechanical lock disabled.
- Garage door openers need adjustment of reverse mechanism
- Sprinkler systems need minor repairs
- Pools with equipment not grounded or leaking pumps
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