Often, the process of selling or leasing a home is more difficult than expected. From finding potential buyers or tenants to settling on a final price, there are many moving parts that you must manage. That being said, you can minimize stress and make the process much easier by recognizing those moving parts now and developing a plan to manage some of these stressors.
As closing lawyers in New York, we see all kinds of obstacles in the sales and leasing process. However, one of the more underrated, yet real obstacles comes from the home inspection. The home inspection may seem like a formality. However, it can cause some issues that can complicate the sale or lease process.
Therefore, in this post, we want to discuss some of the more common problems that can arise from a home inspection. While these problems won’t be fatal to your selling or leasing goals, it is important to tackle them sooner rather than later.
Common Problems Identified in Home Inspection
As lease review lawyers, we’ve noticed that some of the more common issues are related to plumbing. Specifically, home inspectors often find things like leaky pipes and other plumbing problems. When searching your home for plumbing issues, the home inspector will search for things like mildew or mold. They will also take a look at your pipes, seeing if cracks or other damage is present.
While it may be concerning to hear about plumbing-related issues, the great news is that these problems are fixable. You will just need to hire a plumber and provide them with enough time to fix all of the identified plumbing issues. This is an important investment as you work to sell or lease your home.
From plumbing issues, home inspectors often come across faulty electrical wiring. While faulty electrical wiring may not have caused any issues while you lived in the home, it is a potential fire hazard for the new buyer or lessor. When the home inspector enters your property, he or she will look for things like exposed electrical wires and open slice wires. While the inspector will search for these elements in your garages and attics, they will keep an eye out for these hazards throughout the house. Like the water hazards above, you may need to work with an electrician to solve these issues.
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As closing lawyers in New York, we have also seen a good number of grade sloping issues. Grade sloping issues occur when water can slope or drain back into your home. As you can imagine, this can cause significant amounts of damage to the home, ranging from cracks in your foundation, damp crawl spaces, and rot or mold in your walls. These grade sloping issues can be very serious, so it is always a great idea to seek some expert advice to fix any problems.
From grade sloping issues, your home inspector will also take a close look at your roof. Roofing issues are more common than you may think—especially among older homes. Your shingles, tile, slate, and other materials depreciate throughout the years. Cracking and other damage can occur, which may lead to water leaking into your home. Home inspectors will certainly be on the lookout for these roofing issues. You can preempt any potential red flags by hiring a roofer and fixing any potential issues before the inspection.
Finally, home inspectors tend to search for ventilation and energy efficiency issues. As lease review lawyers, we have seen homes being flagged for not having proper ventilation in attics, for instance. This lack of ventilation can result in mold and an unseasonably warm home. These ventilation issues can make your home very energy inefficient.
The Value of Being Proactive
These are just some of the many issues that can arise during your home inspection. Whether you are trying to sell or lease your home, it is helpful to keep these issues in mind. Better yet, you can be proactive and try to address any of these potential issues before the home inspector arrives. While you may not get everything, being proactive can help you avoid significant headaches down the road.
Finally, if you have any questions or complications surrounding home inspections, we invite you to contact us. We are lease review lawyers and closing lawyers in New York that are well-experienced in these issues. Working with us, we can make your sale or lease run as smoothly as possible.