Wiki Wednesday: Home Repair Checklist

Today’s Wiki Wednesday Feature: Home Repair Checklist

I used to say that it’s not the dentist you have to worry about, it’s the hygenist. They’re the ones that deliver most of the pain and discomfort. Likewise, when you sell your home, it’s not the buyers you have to worry about, it’s the home inspector.

When I was in the process of selling my Baltimore home last year, the buyers’ inspector came back with a laundry list of things that were "wrong" with the house. It’s to be expected. Among the items was a "hairline crack in the utility sink in the basement." A hairline crack in the basement sink! I was astounded, especially when there were other things I was mostly worried about, such as the chimney needing a lining. The inspector didn’t list that issue, but we disclosed this problem (my Catholic guilt rises up again) and we spent a nice chunk of change to fix it. Also irksome was that the inspector was the same guy who inspected for us when we bought the house and he didn’t list the hairline crack! Hmmm.

Today’s Wiki Wednesday feature is Home Repair Checklist. The article gives a quick overview of the big stuff that should be checked before you put your home up for sale, like the furnace/AC unit, roof, plumbing, landscaping, etc. Of course, you can try, try, try to anticipate what will come up in the inspection, but it’s better to prevent surprises — especially when it comes to big-ticket items.

Wiki Wednesdays is a weekly feature that highlights helpful or interesting articles from the Real Estate Wiki.

P.S. Don’t forget to check for hairline cracks in the basement sink!