Home inspectors typically evaluate many aspects of a home, but some items are flagged time and again for needing repair or replacement.

Among the items most often flagged are electrical issues, which tend to be at the top of buyers’ lists of items they want sellers to correct. Other problems include plumbing leaks and damaged roofing caused by age, neglect, or adverse weather.

Here are issues home inspectors often uncover that buyers ask sellers to fix.

Electrical Issues

• Inoperable outlets
  
• Open wiring
  
• Double taps in the electrical panel
  
• Outlets within 6 feet of water that lack GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) protection
  

Roofing Problems

• Cracked or missing shingles
  
• Damaged or missing flashing
  
• Worn seals around roof vents
  
• Loose or missing gutters
  

Plumbing

• Leaking or broken faucets
  
• Leaking sink drains
  
• Inoperable drain stoppers
  

Windows and Doors

• Malfunctioning auto-reverse safety mechanism on the garage door
  
• Broken window seals, causing fogging between the panes and potentially compromising the window’s insulating capacity
  

Decks

• Loose or cracked deck boards
  
• Broken stair treads
  
• Loose guard rails
  
• Stairs that are not securely fastened to the deck
  

Though sellers may have been aware of some of the problems uncovered by the home inspector, other problems are not obvious and come as a surprise not only to the buyers but to the sellers as well.

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If you’re planning to buy or sell a home, contact Annette Nelson at (610) 247-7892 or annette@preferredhomes.com

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