What A Home Inspector's Report Might Reveal - Part 2

When selling a home it pays to fix minor problems before putting the property on the market. Major problems also need careful consideration and you will need to determine what is involved in rectifying the problem(s). What will the costs be, the disruption factor and whether the problem(s) will affect the sale or the sale price.

It is usual for a property to undergo an inspection prior to sale, so be aware that problems exposed in a home inspector's report could potentially delay the sale, lose you the sale, or affect your final selling price or terms of sale.

Here are another two items that often appear on a home inspector's report:

1. Water Heater Strapping.

When a home is sold, the water heater must be strapped to prevent it from falling down in an earthquake and starting a fire. You may need to check that the strapping technique used on your water heater complies with the current code in your area.

2. Heater Air Intake.

If your heater is in the garage, it sits on a platform and takes in air from the house through that platform. Check your local regulations, because you'll probably find that this platform must not have any holes in it. Depending on where you live in the world, the rules will probably require that the heater be sealed where it sits on the platform. This is so that no air from the garage can get into the furnace, causing a carbon monoxide hazard.