The process of buying and selling a home is rarely smooth or easy. If you’re selling your home, it helps to put yourself in the shoes of buyers, many of whom are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things they need to check and prepare before making a final purchase decision. Emotions such as excitement and eagerness may also prevent them from making an objective decision.
What usually happens is that small things easily scare away buyers from an otherwise good home. Conversely, some buyers make rash decisions even when a home has several glaring signs of being in poor condition. And so they rely on the advice of home inspectors, who will watch out for a number of classic red flags when evaluating a property’s condition.
Below are 5 things you can expect them to keep an eye out for.
1. Problems with the Foundation
Problems with the foundation are rarely cheap or quick to fix. For starters, check if your property’s yard slopes toward the house, which could cause water to accumulate around the foundation walls and stream into the basement. Speaking of the basement, scour for cracks in the foundation—large cracks and bulging can indicate serious structural problems in the foundation.
2. Problems in the Neighborhood
A home that looks good will be of little value if the buyer doesn’t like the neighborhood it’s in. A classic sign of a serious neighborhood issue is if it has several other homes for sale. This also applies to local businesses—are they boarded up or closing down one after the other? Buyers will likely ask people living on the property’s street for the inside scoop, so you need to be upfront of any potential tradeoffs when moving into your neighborhood.
3. Maintenance Issues
Weeds on the gutters and broken windows are classic signs of properties that weren’t maintained by their owners. Of course, this doesn’t mean that buyers should rule out properties that aren’t in the best shape, especially when they always have the option of seeking repairs. However, a seller’s asking price should reflect the condition of the property. If there are issues that need extensive repairs, you need to highlight these when negotiating the final price.
4. Funky Smells
It’s not unusual to smell funny odors in homes which the owners have long since vacated. But if it’s a property that’s relatively new or the owner is still living in, funky smells can be indicative of problems like mold and mildew growth, or worse, problems with the septic system. Do NOT take the shortcut of hiding these problems with air freshener. Fix the problem and save yourself the headache.
5. Infestations
Nothing kills the excitement of moving into a home than finding out you have a pest problem. Be sure to check for signs of rats, roaches, mice, and above all, termites. Even if your potential buyer doesn’t see anything on their initial visit, you can bet these problems will come to light during the home inspection.
If you’re having problems selling your home due to its condition and can’t afford to make improvements and repairs, we suggest selling to Blue Hen Homebuyers instead. We buy properties no matter what condition they are in. Contact our offices today at 910-802-2222 to learn more about how we can help you.