Lower Anxieties/Improve Marketability

One of the anxiety highpoints during the sale of a home is waiting for the buyer’s home inspection report.  Most sellers willingly disclose what they know about their home to any potential buyers.  The concern stems from the inspector finding something that they’re totally unaware of and that it will either cost them a lot of money to correct or the buyer will simply use it to void the contract.

If the inspection does reveal some unknown problem with the home, it’s probably as big a surprise to the buyer who is not as emotionally or financially invested as the seller.  It is human nature to fear what you don’t understand and when a report identifies defects, they may simply opt-out of the home.

The solution to the situation may be for the seller to have the home inspected prior to putting it on the market.  There is still a risk of becoming surprised by an unknown defect which at that point, would have to be disclosed to potential buyers or repaired by the seller.  The advantage is that it creates a baseline to compare discrepancies that may arise when a future buyer has the home inspected.

If the seller’s inspection report is made available during the marketing process, it could give buyers a sense of confidence about the home even though they may still choose to have the home checked by their own inspector.

The cost of the inspection, possibly $500, keeps some sellers from taking this initiative when selling their home.  In an effort to minimize their expenses, they forego getting valuable, disinterested 3rd party advice that could help sell their home.  On a $175,000 home, the fee for the inspection will probably be less than 3/10 of one percent of the sales price.

Another option to the seller to increase marketability of the property and bolster buyer confidence in the home would be to offer a home protection plan.  Generally, the seller doesn’t incur cost for this coverage until the home is sold and there may even be some coverage for the seller during the listing period.  The benefit to the buyer is avoiding unanticipated expenses for specific items that are covered during their first year of ownership.

Contact me for recommendations of home inspectors or home protection plans.

Hey Webster! New building codes effective September 1, 2012!

“And so, the Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed and.....blew the house down.” Gasp! That house must have not been built in Webster Groves, Missouri, which has recently adopted the 2009 International Building Codes. Signed, sealed and uploaded on the 26th of July, the new amendments will be effective as soon as September 1, 2012.

It is important to consider these codes when building or adjusting anything that could potentially effect the structural integrity of your home. The big topics that are covered in the newly adopted IBC: wind, wood, water and efficiency. Here are a few brief highlights of new language and implementations in the 2009 IBC (for the full list of differences please visit: http://www.sbcindustry.com/codes.php):



Efficiency

A minimum of fifty percent of the lamps in permanently installed lighting fixtures shall
be high efficacy lamps.
DEFINITION: HIGH-EFFICACY LAMPS: Compact fluorescent lamps, T-8 or smaller diameter linear fluorescent
lamps, or lamps with a minimum efficacy of:
1. 60 lumens per watt for lamps over 40 watts,
2. 50 lumens per watt for lamps over 15 watts to 40 watts,
3. 40 lumens per watt for lamps 15 watts or less.

Gas water heaters. All gas water heaters shall be equipped with a pilotless electronic ignition system.

Air sealing and insulation. Building envelop air tightness and insulation installation shall be demonstrated to comply with one of the following options given by Section N1102.4.2.1 or N1102.4.2.2:

Fireplaces. New wood-burning fireplaces shall have gasketed doors and outdoor combustion air.

Programmable thermostat. Where the primary heating system is a forced air furnace, at least one thermostat per dwelling unit
shall be capable of controlling the heating and cooling system on a daily schedule to maintain different temperature set points at different
times of the day. This thermostat shall include the capability to set back or temporarily operate the system to maintain zone temperatures
down to 55 o F (13o C) or up to 85 o F (29 o C). The thermostat shall initially be programmed with a heating temperature set point no higher
than 70 o F (21 o C) and a cooling temperature set point no lower than 78 o F (26 o C).

Timing

Work commencing before permit issuance. Any person who commences  work requiring a permit on a building, structure,
electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to a fee
established by the applicable governing authority that shall be in addition to the required permit fees.


As Webster Groves is a rich historic neighborhood of St. Louis County, the homes require a commitment to investment and consistent updates of the homes. Here’s to being the third Little Pig, and not letting him blow the house down. 


Written by Ciara Brewer on behalf of Monica Brewer 

Home Inspections

When buying, selling, or renovating your home, a thorough inspector is essential to the successful progression of your mission. With no formal licensing requirements to become a Missouri Home Inspector, this can be a challenge. Arming yourself with all the important “gadgets” before your inspection can save you time, money, and unnecessary headaches.

Know the mission.

There is a clear checklist that inspectors use to determine that a home is up to the national standards. They use a list of factors rated as “good”, “average”, “suspect” or “poor” to determine the structural integrity of the building. Prepare yourself for what they should be looking for and pre-inspect your home by taking a look at the items on their checklist. As a home buyer, you will know the right questions to ask during the inspection; as a seller or renovator, you can avoid having to redo an inspection or ending up with larger problems down the line.

Go, go, gadget shield! Protecting yourself with knowledge.

1) Read the Contract

Like any business deal, Inspector’s contracts will outline the services that they will be providing. Comb through the contract and understand the limitations and guarantees of the service they are providing for you. This is particularly important if you are assessing an older home, unusual features, septic tanks, etc.

2) Assess Credibility

There are two ways of finding an inspector: referral or research. Ultimately, you should intertwine these two techniques. When accepting a referral, watch out for those who may have a conflict of interest. When doing your research there are a few good forums for looking at recommendations, zillow, and  yelp, are very popular.

3) Know the limitations

Even if you have a trustworthy and thorough inspector with all the right gadgets, (s)he does not possess x-ray vision or extendable limbs like our cyborg friend Inspector Gadget. There are some aspects which tend to be commonly overlooked. Being a homeowner does pose some risks and requires minor and major  repairs here and there on your investment. Armed with an arsenal of knowledge and a final walk through, you are protecting yourself from many of the avoidable and common inspection problems. 

Written by Ciara Brewer on behalf of Monica Brewer