Buying Steps 25-27: Digging Into the Inspection
Andi Dyer • April 28, 2025
Step 25
Here is what is typically covered during a Home Inspection:
- Attic:
Look for adequate ventilation; water leaks from the roof.
- Basement: Look for water leakage; musty smell.
- Ceilings, Walls, and Molding: Look for loose pieces; drywall that is pulling away.
- Doors and Windows: Look for loose or tight fits; condition of locks; condition of weather-stripping.
- Driveways/Sidewalks: Look for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, and stains.
- Electrical: Look for conditions of fuse box/circuit breakers, and the number of outlets in each room.
- Exterior: Look for cracked bricks and siding pulling away from the building. Look at the condition of floor cracks, stains, etc.; condition of the door mechanism.
- Foundation: Look for cracks or water seepage.
- Furnace/Air Conditioning: Look for age; energy rating; Furnaces are rated by annual fuel utilization efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel costs. However, other factors such as the payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate motors.
- Insulation: Look for the condition; adequate rating for the climate.
- Plumbing: Look for poor water pressure, banging pipes, rust spots, or corrosion that indicate leaks and insufficient insulation.
- Porch/Deck: Loose railings or rot.
- Roof: Look for age, condition of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and downspouts.
- Siding: Look for dents or buckling.
- Water Heater: Look for age, size adequate for the house, speed of recovery, and energy rating.
Many Inspectors will have material on their websites to educate you about what they look for and what they cover. They will happily discuss their process or any questions you have.
Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
Step 26
From finding a Home Inspector to dealing with surprises — this is your guide to getting a house checked out.
The first thing you need to know about Home Inspection is: You’ll feel all the feels.
There’s the excitement — the inspection could be the longest time you’re in the house, after the showing.
Right behind that comes … anxiety. What if the Inspector finds something wrong? So wrong, you can’t buy the house?
Then there’s impatience. Seriously, is this whole home-buying process over yet?
Not yet. But you’re close. So take a deep breath. Because the most important thing to know about Home Inspection is: It’s just too good for you, as a Buyer, to skip. Here’s why.
A Home Inspector Is Your Protector
An Inspector helps you make sure a house isn’t hiding anything before you commit for the long haul. (Think about it this way: You wouldn’t even get coffee with a stranger without checking out their history.)
An Inspector identifies any reasonably discoverable problems with the house (a leaky roof, faulty plumbing, etc.). Hiring an Inspector is you doing your due diligence. To find a good one (more on how to do that soon), it helps to have an understanding of what the typical Home Inspection entails.
An inspection is all about lists.
The disclosure comes in the form of an outline, covering such things as:
- Mold
- Pest infestation
- Roof leaks
- Foundation damage
- Other problems
During the inspection, an Inspector has three tasks -- to:
- Identify problems with the house that he or she can see
- Suggest fixes
- Prepare a written report, usually with photos, noting observed defects
This report is critical — it’s what you’ll use to request repairs from the Seller, and/or get bids.
The Inspector Won’t Check Everything
Generally, Inspectors only examine houses for problems that can be seen with the naked eye. They won’t be tearing down walls or using magical X-ray vision to find hidden faults.
Inspectors also won’t put themselves in danger. If a roof is too high or steep, for example, they won’t climb up to check for missing or damaged shingles. They’ll use binoculars to examine it instead.
They can’t predict the future, either. While an Inspector can give you a rough idea of how many more years that roof will hold up, he or she can’t tell you exactly when it will need to be replaced.
Finally, Inspectors are often generalists. A basic inspection doesn’t routinely include a thorough evaluation of:
Wells
- Septic systems
- Structural engineering work
- The ground beneath a home
- Fireplaces and chimneys
When it comes to wood-burning fireplaces, most Inspectors will open and close dampers to make sure they’re working, check chimneys for obstructions like birds’ nests, and note if they believe there’s reason to pursue a more thorough safety inspection.
If you’re concerned about the safety of a fireplace, you can hire a certified chimney Inspector. Find one through the Chimney Safety Institute of America.
It’s Your Job to Check the Inspector
We will provide a copy of our Home Inspection Policy to you. In addition to getting recommendations (friends and relatives are handy for those, too), you can rely on online resources such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) at the following link: https://www.homeInspector.org/Find-An-Inspector, which lets you search by address, metro area, or neighborhood.
You’ll want to interview at least three Inspectors before deciding whom to hire. During each chat, ask questions such as:
- Are you licensed or certified? ASHI lists Washington’s requirements at homeInspector.org
- Are you insured? For what type of scenario?
- How long have you been in the business? Look for someone with at least five years of experience — it indicates more homes inspected.
- How much do you charge? The average Home Inspection costs about $800. For condos and homes under 1,000 square feet, the average cost is $700. Homes over 2,000 square feet can run $800 - $1,300 depending on add-ons.
- What do you check, exactly? Know what you’re getting for your money.
- What don’t you check, specifically? Some home Inspectors are more thorough than others.
- How soon after the inspection will I receive my report? Home Inspection contingencies require you to complete the inspection within a certain period of time after the offer is accepted — usually 2 – 5 days — so you’re on a set timetable. A good home Inspector will provide you with the report within 24 hours after the inspection.
- May I see a sample report? This will help you gauge how detailed the Inspector is and how he or she explains problems.
How to Read Online Reviews
Take extreme reviews (“she was the best Inspector ever”) with a grain of salt; compare a provider’s reviews on several sites; don’t let a few bad reviews cloud the positives; see if a contractor has addressed negative reviews.
Sometimes you can find online reviews of Inspectors on sites like Angie’s List and Yelp, too, past clients’ feedback is helpful in making your decision.
Show Up for Inspection (and Bring Your Agent)
It’s Inspection Day, and the honor of your presence is not required, but highly recommended at the end. Even though you’ll receive a report summarizing the findings later on, being there gives you a chance to ask questions and to learn the inner workings of the home.
Tips for Attending the Home Inspection
Attending the Home Inspection is one of the most important parts of buying a new home as it’s a huge financial investment with long-term repercussions and you want to make sure the home you’re buying is in good shape. Therefore, we feel strongly that Buyers should always be at the Home Inspection. Yes, you’ll get a written report after the inspection, but it doesn’t give you nearly as clear of a picture of the condition of the house as being there to see any problems for yourself and ask the Inspector follow-up questions. Plus, unless you’re extremely knowledgeable about home construction, it’s difficult to understand what in the inspection report is a big problem or defect and what is really a minor issue. Instead, it’s easy to get worked up about ungrounded outlets, but not realize that the water seepage in the basement is a much bigger and more extensive problem to fix.
Here is our list of tips for attending the Home Inspection:
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes as the Inspector may ask you to crawl into the basement or get up in the attic to see any problems.
- The Inspector isn’t psychic. He can only see obvious defects and cannot see what is going on inside the walls and plumbing, electrical, etc. It is a snapshot in time that seems to be in good shape on that day.
- Ask questions of the Inspector, especially if you don’t understand what they are explaining to you. It’s crucial you understand each issue and whether it’s a minor issue or an expensive repair.
- Bring a tape measure with you to take any needed room measurements as we may not be able to get back into the home until the walk-through the day before closing.
- Inspection reports are generally emailed to you within 1-2 days after the inspection. As soon as you get the inspection report be sure to email it to me so we can look it over. We’ll then set up a time to discuss any items we want to get bids on, ask the Seller to fix or give a closing cost credit to repair after closing.
Remember that the point of the inspection is to:
- Discover safety issues
- See if there are any structural issues
- Discover any needed repairs to the working components. For instance, we want to make sure that all of the appliances are working, that the furnace and AC units are working, etc.
- We are NOT there to nit-pick because we don’t like the paint colors, there is a dent in the fridge door, the furnace needs to be cleaned, the gutters need to be swept out, etc. No home is going to be perfect (even new construction). Houses have cosmetic flaws and future maintenance issues. Remember, we are mainly concerned with safety issues and things not working.
Water: A Home’s #1 Enemy
- Besides drainage, ask the Inspector about any signs of water damage. Water can destroy the integrity of the home’s structure. So a leaky gutter isn’t just annoying; it’s compromising your foundation.
- Block out two to 4 hours for the inspection for a single-family home. The Inspector will survey the property from top to bottom. This can include checking the water pressure; leaks in the attic, plumbing, etc.; if door and window frames are straight (if not, it could be a sign of a structural issue); if electrical wiring is up to code; if smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working; if appliances work properly. Outside, they will look at things like siding, fencing, and drainage.
- The Inspector might also be able to check for powderpost beetles, asbestos, lead paint, or radon, depending on what package and concerns you have. Because these tests involve more legwork and can require special certification, they come at an additional charge.
Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
STep 27
Remember, the Home Inspection is an informational report for you, the Buyer, not a to-do list for the Seller. We should only be concerned about structural issues, safety defects, or appliances/mechanicals not working.
Therefore, here are our tips for reading the inspection report:
- Focus on the summary page of the report, since it typically highlights any major concerns — along with repairs suggested by the Inspector.
- Pay particular attention to issues relating to the: Electrical, Plumbing, Roof, Foundation, Ventilation and Insulation, Exterior, and Structure issues such as water intrusion, as these can be big ticket items to repair.
- If there are any big-ticket items that are concerning to you, decide if you want to have additional inspections performed. For instance, we can bring in a Structural Engineer, a Sewer Inspector, an Electrician, a Pest Inspector, etc. If you want to bring in additional Inspectors, or a contractor for a bid, you’ll be responsible for paying their fees.
- Most likely we are going to ask the Sellers to provide a credit for you to fix the items after closing.
- Remember that the things on the inspection report which are important are:
- Safety issues
- Structural issues
- Working components such as appliances that are not working.
- We should NOT be asking for the paint to be touched up, the gutters to be swept out, etc. No home is going to be perfect (not even new construction. Remember, we are concerned with safety issues and things not working.
Important Home Inspection Terminology
(F) Functional – This letter or term means that the item inspected is working properly, allowing for normal wear and tear.
(NI) Not inspected – A component of the home that wasn’t inspected
(NP) Not present – A component that wasn’t inspected because it was not accessible
(AE) Additional Evaluation Recommended – If you see this term, it means that the Inspector recommends that you investigate the item further to ensure that it’s safe, and working properly, or to determine the root cause of a problem.
(S) Safety concern – Pay close attention to this terminology, since it indicates a possible safety concern. Many Lenders will require these items to be addressed before they’ll approve financing on a home.
(R) General repair – This term indicates that a specific item is in need of repair.
(D) Defect – This term means that a component of the home needs to be repaired or replaced.
Source: Inspection Support Network™ | www.inspectionsupport.com
Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
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Step 1 Many homeowners start the selling process by looking at sites such as Realtor.com, Zillow, or Redfin to see what similar properties have recently sold for in their neighborhood to determine the current value of their home. That’s fine and understandable, but keep in mind: The sites aren’t 100% accurate as listings that were never listed in the NWMLS, or For Sale By Owners, will be missing. The information on the online sites is often out of date or not accurate as NWMLS. Therefore, a property might show that it’s still Active on Zillow, even though it sold 9 months prior. When professional appraisers conduct an appraisal, they only take into account homes that have sold in a particular neighborhood within the last 90 days. It’s not possible to sort the data by date on the online sites so it’s difficult to only look for properties that have sold within the last 90 days. Therefore, Step 1 to buying a home should be to interview REALTORS ® to represent you and ask them to provide you with a CMA (Comparable Market Analysis). Find a Realtor® How do you find a really good REALTOR®? Hopefully, you’ll contact us at 360-734-6479 or andi@andidyer.com so we can see if we would be a good fit. Remember, not all REALTORS® are right for all people. It would be best if you found someone who is not only great at his or her job, but someone you like and trust as you’re putting a big piece of your financial future in their hands. Ask friends and family for referrals. Contact those Realtors® and set up initial phone screenings with them. Notice how quickly each REALTOR® responds to your initial phone call or email. The REALTOR® should get back to you within 24 hours; if not, that’s a bad sign. This business moves fast, and deals can be lost if your REALTOR® doesn’t respond quickly on your behalf to showing requests, offers, inspection negotiations, etc. Initial Phone Screening During the initial phone screening, find out if the REALTOR® knows your neighborhood and if they’ve ever helped a client buy or sell property in your neighborhood. Ask about their experience. If your gut reaction says this person might be a good fit, ask them to do a CMA on your home and set up a time to meet with them in person. Be prepared for the REALTOR® to ask questions about your home, how much you owe on your mortgage and if any repairs are needed as they need this information to do an accurate CMA. Meet In Person and Review the CMA When you meet with the REALTOR® in person, ask them our Interview questions for hiring a REALTOR (see the next article we send). You will go over the CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) together and evaluate your competition. Ask them not only what they think your home is worth, but what the average days on market (i.e. the number of days from when your home goes on the market until you have an accepted contract) are in your area. If the REALTOR® doesn’t know this, move on. Ask them what they charge, how much the closing costs will be, and what approximately you’ll net if you sell your home for X price. Most importantly, be honest with each REALTOR®. If you need to sell your home for a certain amount of money or in a certain time frame, tell them. Only when REALTORS® have a complete picture can they come up with the best strategy to fit your situation. Lastly, trust your gut. Sign the paperwork Once you’ve picked a REALTOR®, expect to sign a Listing Agreement authorizing that REALTOR® to represent you. That starts the ball rolling to get your home on the market. Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
STEP 3 THE ESCROW PROCESS
Step 4 What I Do For You Not all real estate practitioners are REALTOR®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTOR® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. When looking at all the factors that an Agent influences, it’s easy to see how important it is to choose the right one for you. Navigate a complicated process Buying or selling a home usually requires disclosure forms, reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multipage settlement statements. A knowledgeable expert will help you prepare the best deal and avoid delays or costly mistakes. Information and opinions REALTORS® can provide objective information on utilities, zoning, schools, and more. They’ll also be able to provide objective information about each property. A professional will be able to help you answer these two important questions: Will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property most likely have a good resale value when I am ready to sell? Negotiating skills There are many negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession, and including or exclusion of repairs, furnishings, or equipment. In addition, the purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections, and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your Agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required. Property marketing power Real estate doesn’t sell due to advertising alone. In fact, a large share of real estate sales comes as the result of a practitioner’s contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, and family. When a property is marketed with the help of a REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property. Someone who speaks the language If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with a professional who is immersed in the industry and knows the real estate language. Experience Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. Even if you have done it before, laws and regulations change. REALTORS®, on the other hand, handles hundreds of estate transactions over the course of their career. Having an expert on your side is critical. Objective voice A home often symbolizes the future, rest, and security – it’s not just four walls and a roof. Because of this, home buying and selling can be an emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the largest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you stay focused on both the emotional and financial issues most important to you. Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
Step 6 Signing Electronically Authentisign is a secure, online, document signing service that enables multiple parties to participate and sign real estate documents electronically. Electronic signatures have been approved for use since June 30, 2000, when Congress enacted the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. In an electronic signing, the action of you approving the documents is your signature. Instead of actually signing your name, you are approving the documents by clicking on signature or initial blocks. When you click on each block, the document will replace the block with your name or initials. The entire signing process is tracked, including the IP (internet protocol) address of your computer and the date and time you signed. This electronic process is convenient, efficient, and reduces the amount of time and paper used in the transaction. Respond to Invitation You will receive an invitation email with a link to access the signing transaction. Click the blue icon (shown below) to open the Authentisign electronic signature service.
Step 8 You see a home on Zillow or the like (we’ll call them portals from here on out) and inquire about its availability with us…and it’s not for sale. You’re looking to sell your home and you LOVE the Zestimate (I don’t need to talk to anyone to find out how much my home is worth; squeeee! And even better my home magically increased in value by $50K in the last two weeks according to Zillow; double squeeee!), yet the number is completely wrong when you talk to a REALTOR®? Why? Let’s start with the availability of homes part. The dirty secret about online real estate is that it’s built upon you being a leader. The online real estate world is inaccurate and untrustworthy. Portals don’t care about their data being accurate; they are an advertising website, not a real estate website so there’s no incentive for them to make sure that a home that sold six months ago is changed from active to sold on their website. They just care about getting your contact information, they sell advertising. Now that you know that the baseline of portals is garbage, let’s move on to estimates of home value. First of all, Zillow itself calls it a “Zestimate,” as in estimate. Zillow has a helpful chart which can be seen below showing that in the Seattle area the Zestimates are off by 9.8% on average. That means on a $500,000 home the Zestimate could say it’s worth either $450,000 or $550,000. That’s a $100K swing in price. Instead, Zillow says it’s a starting point for a pricing discussion. If it’s not even close to accurate, why are you taking these estimates as gospel? Wouldn’t it be called a “Zaccurate” if it was accurate? So why they aren’t accurate and what are these Zestimates based on? In Whatcom County, most of their data come from public data derived from the county, city, and state. The problem with this data is that it is out of date, to begin with. Anyone who has lived in Whatcom County for any length of time knows that the data is often inaccurate and this, in part, is what Zestimates are based on. The portals do not have access to sold home prices – en masse – which adds another layer of inaccuracy to the mess. The portals then apply an algorithm – a computer program – to these disparate incorrect pieces of data to derive an estimate of value. How can an accurate price be determined for a home when the data it is based on is out of date and incorrect? It can’t. So how should the value of a home be determined if you want it to be accurate? Sold home data – hard dollars spent – in a recent time period on homes that compare to each other is the most important way to determine the current market value of your home. Appraisers only use comps that have sold within the last three months which have a similar number of bedrooms, baths, square footage, and features, and are located within a 1-mile radius of the subject property. This is the reason why the beautiful new construction 3-bedroom single-family home that sold a year ago on your street doesn’t help the value of your 100-year-old 2-bedroom four-flat condo. Only real estate professionals and appraisers have access to this sold data; portals do not. The condition of your home is a factor. All things being equal, an updated home will be of more value than an identical home in the bedroom, bath, and square footage count no matter how much you love your “charming!” 50-year-old kitchen and asbestos-filled basement. Whether a neighborhood is appreciating or depreciating in value will affect the price of your home. Often a Seller’s perceived value of their home and the actual market price are very different numbers. You might be willing to overlook that your home has no AC and that the third bedroom is the size of a storage closet because you think the home has a ton of character which makes it worth the same as a home with Central AC and three large bedrooms, but these issues affect the price whether a Seller wants to admit it or not. This is why determining the fair market value of a home is a mixture of art and NWMLS data. My job as a REALTOR® is to help you determine where the actual market price of your home is based on the accurate information we have at my disposal, not the perceived price based on your emotions. So, in lieu of talking to us or any other REALTORS®, where can you go for accurate information? We will send you a link, to my system that is accurate, and an app HomeSpotter which it is integrated with. See a house on Zillow, Trulia, etc. that you like? Look it up on my App or NWMLS to be sure it’s actually available. Our sites are updated constantly. Zillow’s website sometimes has information on it that is 6 months old. In a fast-moving market, this could make or break your buying experience – specifically how much time you waste online. You’ll need to find every home in your general area and neighborhood which matches your home’s bedroom, bath, square footage, parking, etc. which has sold in the last three months since that is the time frame appraisers use. Then you need to go inside of them (or find recent photos of the interior) to make sure they match your home in terms of quality, condition, and finishes to determine a somewhat accurate value. Or you can pay for an appraisal every year until you’re ready to sell. Or we can generate an NWMLS report of sold homes in your neighborhood for you whenever you’d like, which is free. One tip we do recommend for Sellers is to claim your home on Zillow so you can make the data as accurate as possible. The bottom line for these and other websites is this: They are nothing, but advertising sites meant to monetize your eyeballs. Next time you log on to a portal such as Zillow and Trulia, look for an ad for a bank, or three-plus Agents (who pay to make it look like it is their listing which it isn’t), or a mortgage person or any of the myriad of advertising partners these companies have. Every time you look up a home as a Buyer or try to ascertain the value of a home as a Seller you’re selling an ad for these people and companies to the tune of multiple millions of dollars every year. They aren’t in the business of accuracy, only your eyes on an ad. Want accuracy? Want to know the market value of your home? Tired of wasting your time online? Give us a shout. Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
Step 12 You’ve picked a REALTOR® (us!). Yeah! Now what? Now we need to get your home ready for the market. This involves: Change the privacy settings on all your social media pages so only friends can see your posts We don’t want potential Buyers Googling you learning that you just got a big promotion at work, are moving across the country or are buying a new house because you’re having a baby. All of these items can hurt my negotiation position, therefore, it’s imperative you change your security settings to make your posts and photos private to strangers. And while you can mention on your social media page that you’re selling your home, don’t say why. Top 10 List Write a top ten list of reasons you love living in your home. We don’t want these reasons to be things the Buyers can easily see for themselves such as your gorgeous kitchen. Rather, we want them to be intangibles that only you know such as the beautiful sunsets visible through your living room windows, that you have great neighbors, the Farmers Market down the street every Tuesday, see the next page for an example of a Top 10 List. We then use this list in our marketing of your home. The Top 10 Reasons You’ll Love Living Here 1. Location, location, location! Only 3 blocks to the shops and restaurants of Sehome Neighborhood. Plus, everyday conveniences like Haggen’s, Starbucks, Blue Fin Sushi, Walgreens and a gas station are just steps away. 2. Work downtown? Drive there in 5 minutes, walk there in 20 minutes. Take an Uber to enjoy the night for $8. 3. Want to take the scenic way Western Washington University? The trail is literally off the side yard and walk there in twenty minutes. Or take the off-leash dog trails to the tower for a scenic overview of Bellingham, the Bay & Mt. Baker. You will never get bored with the variety of trails in this 175-acre oasis. 4. Have a dog? Zip out back to the Arboretum trails, or it’s a quick drive to the Lake Padden Dog Park and off-leash trails, or Fairhaven Dog Park. 5. 2 ½ miles to Fairhaven , walking distance to Sehome High School. 6. FANTASIC alpenglow sunsets behind Mt. Baker. Watch the moon & stars from the warmth of your living room. 7. Enjoy wildlife? We have squirrels, deer, racoons and even Barred owls in the summer. 8. The privacy in the backyard makes coming homing home at the end of the day to our sanctuary absolutely restorative. Sunbathing in the afternoons, drinking coffee in the mornings and watching the hummingbirds, or having a movie night party on the back deck, we get 8 months of living out here. 9. We don’t have green thumbs and love the low maintenance yards. 10. We wanted a convenient location in town, but to feel like we were in the middle of nature. We’ve Loved Living Here and Know You Will Too Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
STEP 13 Once all of the paperwork is complete, we’ll walk through your home room by room with you to create a comprehensive list of items that need to be decluttered and furniture that needs to be moved or put in storage. Together we’ll determine whether we need to bring in a professional stager to stage either certain rooms or the entire property. Unless the property is vacant, we usually don’t need a stager. If your home is vacant and we determine a stager is right for your situation, we’ll provide several companies for you to interview. Once you’ve picked a stager, you would pay the staging company directly for their services. See our article “81+ Staging Tips that help Buyers Fall In Love.” Remember, we’ll create a personalized list just for your home. Once the staging/decluttering is done, let us know so we can schedule an appointment with our top-notch professional photographer for your home. Home Staging That Delivered Big Results Great design helped to bring about quicker sales that surged high above list prices. Home staging can show a home in its best light and attract more home buyers—and possibly bidding wars. Several of last month’s “Best of the Best” home staging winners showed what a difference staging can make. Each month, the Home Staging Resource recognizes top designs from its members. Check out some of the designs featured recently on the Styled, Staged & Sold blog as well as more of October’s honorees below. Budget-Friendly Updates Addie Ashworth, a sales associate at Coldwell Banker Realty in Columbus, Ohio, and owner of Ashworth Staging + Design took on a listing that her client inherited from his father. “Nothing had been updated in years, and everything was original,” Ashworth says. “The seller did not want to spend a lot of money on updates.” Ashworth suggested low-cost fixes with a big impact, such as removing the dated carpet to expose the original hardwood floors underneath. The entire house was painted in “Agreeable Grey” by Sherwin-Williams. Some of the kitchen cabinet doors were starting to fall off, so Ashworth recommended removing them and adding baskets. Everything in the kitchen was painted white, and the aging linoleum floor was swapped out for luxury vinyl planks. Ashworth also brought in modern furnishings, staging the home with a midcentury vibe to compliment the 1958 ranch-style home. The property had more than 270 showings and 43 offers—all above list price. The seller accepted a cash offer with no contingencies for $165,000 over the asking price. The home closed in five days. Before:
STEP 15 REPAIR TIME If together we have gone through the house and identified a list of items that need to be fixed. If your dishwasher hasn’t been working for years or your air conditioning unit has been making an unusually loud noise, we need to have those items repaired before your home goes on the market. It’s better to get items fixed now before they come up in an inspection report and potentially scare off a Buyer later. We have access to affordable repair people, electricians, handymen, etc. In general, we always recommend: Touching up the paint in your home. Installing new caulk around every shower and tub. Hiring a professional HVAC company to service and clean both your furnace and AC, if applicable. Hiring a professional to clean your carpets. Making sure all light bulbs are working and that every light fixture contains the highest wattage light bulbs it can bear. Having chimneys professionally swept. Changing outdated cabinet hardware in kitchens and bathrooms. Repairing any broken window screens. Testing all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are functioning properly. Making sure downspouts aren’t improperly sloped or damaged in single-family homes. If they are, have them repaired. Repairing any damaged, broken, or missing roof shingles. Email us to see our updated list of recommended service providers such as handyman, appliance repair people, etc. Questions? Contact us at andi@andidyer(dot)com or 360-734-6479.
STEP 18 Have us send you the ShowingTime App. The ShowingTime mobile app makes it easy for Sellers (you) to manage and take part in the home-selling process. By keeping up to date with your home’s showing activity, Sellers can: Confirm/decline showing requests See all upcoming appointments Review their home’s showing and feedback activity Easily contact your agent Adjust your notification preferences Lorri Briggs, who’s sold five houses in four states, said using the ShowingTime mobile app helped her take the inefficiencies out of the home-selling process . “I fell in love with ShowingTime immediately,” Lorri said. “I was amazed at how user-friendly the app was. It had everything I needed to know in one handy place … past showings, future showings, how many showings last week, and how many in the last 30 days. It was so awesome. “Not only did it help me keep organized and on top of prospective Buyer traffic, but it clearly showed anything that I still needed to respond to. Every morning I would review our showing times and plan accordingly.” Lorri’s not alone. Many of our customers continuously comment on how much their homeowners enjoy having access to their listing’s information via the app: “The feedback is an excellent way to communicate with Sellers!” — Ofe Polack, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage “This makes the homeowner very happy.” — Gail Smith, Brokers Guild “As a direct result of using ShowingTime, I have been able to service my clients right away and maintain showings and feedback in one place.” — Tommy Burdett, RE/MAX Coast and Country Click here to see the video tutorial.
