If and when you’re selling your home a home inspection can make or break the deal. If there are problems with the house you can be left on the hook or on the losing end of closing.

To make sure that doesn’t happen to you make sure you repair all of the following in this article.

The home repairs to do before an inspection

• Ensure that your outlets are wired properly. You can buy a tester at Home Depot for cheap. Make sure that all outlets that are 6 ft within water are GFCI. You may want to work with a professional electrician if you’re not comfortable with doing the work yourself.

• You will want to look and see if the roof needs to be repaired or not. People don’t want to buy a house with a bad roof. Honestly it’s the first thing the inspector is going to look at. A new roof can get costly; the average price starts out at about $5,000.

• Install or replace gutters there are one of the most replaced things on the house because homeowners want to keep water away from the house for the simple fact that water can damage your foundation. Basement leaks can be expensive. The cost of gutter extensions is about $5-$8 per foot.

• Look to see if your water heater is working and up to code. Know what the code is in your state and make sure your water heater is installed correctly. You should check the temperature and pressure valves. A plumber or a local handyman near you should be able to do repairs and discharge the lines at a low cost.

• Replace or put batteries in all smoke alarms. You should have working smoke alarms in your house. Just make sure they are working before an inspection.

• Install a carbon monoxide detector having one in each living area is recommended. There should be one placed in the hallway too. A detector should be where ever there is natural gas or propane appliances.

• Your electrical panel should be labeled. If not you need to get a label machine and get someone that can help you label the box.

• When inspection comes you want to make sure your light bulbs are working from the garage to every room in the house. Home inspector may and probably will think that is the light doesn’t turn on that there is an issue with the switch.

• Make sure your irrigation system is working properly. It can become a red flag for some inspectors. To repair a sprinkler system it’s around $250.

• All the doors in the house have to be working properly no dragging or binding. Check to make sure that the doors and windows also lock. Do the doors need new weather stripping can you see light above or below the door when its shut? If so you need to have the doors and windows replaced. With windows you want to make sure they latch when you close them. Replacing both doors and windows can get costly.

• Repair the HVAC system if you need to a home inspector will probably see what the temperature is blowing at with each register in the house and if he/she recommends repair you will want to repair the HVAC system before putting the house on the market.

Related article: Repairs to do before putting your home on the market

• Fix any leaks that maybe happening. It’s costly to hire a plumber but it may have to be done to make sure that your pipes are in good condition. Plumbing is one of the top things on everyone’s home buying check list. No one wants to do repairs no matter how small.

• Mold and termites can be an issue for home buyers and needs to be addressed. You should have this taken care of before scheduling a home inspection. Don’t let it screw up a deal for you.

• If you’re flooring as any damage to it you will want to get it replaced or repaired. Damaged flooring can be harmful for pets and children or anyone in general. Plus it takes away from the layout of a home. Flooring can be inexpensive when you know what to buy and make any room in the house look better.

Get connected to a local contractor

If you need help with any of these projects above and want to connect with a local handyman or contractor before a home inspection we encourage you to do so. Home repairs can increase the overall value of a home and make buyers really happy.

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