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That search for a dream home is a rollercoaster of emotions and indecisions and fluctuating doubts. You flit between your heart ruling your head, and vice versa.

Buying a property is also a huge responsibility. As soon as that ink is dry on the contracts, any maintenance issues become your problem. Whish is why a building survey is essential before you proceed – and why it is insisted upon by your mortgage company.

But like anything, a structural survey costs money. And they can often show up issues that you don’t want to hear about, issues that are upsetting both financially and emotionally.

The more that you can spot and recognise yourself, the more heart and wallet ache you can save yourself. By being more aware of potentially hidden issues in the structure of a property, means that you can prepare yourself if you still want to continue with the purchase. Forewarned and forearmed – and you have the information to either continue with the purchase navigating the problems head on with no nasty surprises, or walk away and start your search again.

As an example, the commercial timber treatment guide below, will explain to you what you need to look out for in the timber structure of a building. Later articles will look at brickwork, roofing, plumbing and electrics.

Common Timber Problems in Properties

Depending on the age and condition of the property, the state of the timber can be a significant indicator of other problems in the house, such as damp or movement. Make sure you have a good look at all the timber you can possibly see. Get access to the roof space, explore any cellar or basement areas, lift up carpets and check out the floorboards. Don’t worry if it seems rude to the current homeowners – you’re looking at investing a large amount of money and you want to ensure its protected.

How to Spot Problems with Damp

The smell is the most obvious sign that there is damp in a property, but the state of the timbers will indicate how far advanced it is. If timber is not dried out then it will attract the growth of fungi – otherwise known as wet or dry rot.

How to Spot Dry or Wet Rot

Dry rot: a dry rot infestation starts with mycelium growth, which is a white or grey cotton like substance. It feeds on the wood until it sprouts a fruiting body which is round in shape and a rusty red colour with the outer parts being white. What you need to look out for is the spore dust generated from these fruiting bodies.

The timber itself will look desiccated and brittle, with square cracking on the surface of the timber.

Wet rot: the timber will be spongy to the touch and have an obvious large content of water, with a black fungus growth. If the wet rot is far advanced, it will have actually dried out the timber and caused it to shrink and become battle.

How to Spot Woodworm Infestation

Woodworm is the other major issue that can affect the condition of your timber – and left untreated it will not just affect your house timber, but will find its way into furniture as well.

Look out for small, neat holes, about 2mm in across, with tiny piles of dust surrounding them – this is indication of the insect nibbling its way through the wood. Woodworm larvae are creamy white in colour and look like grubs. As they grow into beetles they eat their way through the wood, laying more larvae. If you spot this, you need to call in the experts.

A home appraisal takes place before the seller puts the house up for sale. An appraiser will let the buyer know how much their home is worth, depending on a variety of factors. Usually, the seller will make some adjustments to the house before the appraisal to increase the value.

Home inspections take place before the buyer fills out the last bit of paperwork. The inspection is done with the buyer’s interests in mind, and the inspector will look for anything wrong with the house that could potentially lower its value.

Home appraisals are required by lenders in order to protect their investment. Inspections, on the other hand, are requested by the buyer, and they might not even request one. Housing markets are so competitive now that they might push the sale through just to get the home. Appraisers and inspectors look for a lot of the same things. We’ve explained the process of both below, starting with the one that comes first in the real estate process: the appraisal.

The Home Appraisal Process – What Do They Look For?

The owner of the house will have to schedule and pay for the home appraisal, and the results will be sent to the lender. You will need to ask for a copy because you won’t automatically be given one. This report will help you avoid problems during the inspection later on.

According to the appraisers at Home Appraising Group, home appraisers in NJ, the main factor that will be considered by a home appraisal expert is how your home compares to similar homes nearby that have sold in the past 90 days. These are known as comparable sales. Features that will be compared include the appearance, square footage, and amenities.

If your house has one more room than a similar house, that will raise the value, and if you have wallpaper instead of painted walls, that will lower the value. The more work the new owner will have to do after buying, the lower the value of your home.

What to Do with the Results

If you get a great appraisal that exceeds your expectations, then you’re in an ideal situation, and you probably can just go ahead with the sales process. However, if you receive a low appraisal, there are steps you can take to raise the value or dispute the appraisal.

By asking for a copy of the report, you will see exactly what lowered the value of your home. This report will give you a list of things you can improve about your home before moving on with the sale.

If you think the appraisal was wrongfully low, you can ask your real estate agent to look for different comparable homes that support your argument of a higher valuation. They might know more about your area than the appraiser does.

The Home Inspection Process – What Do They Look For?

Inspectors will do a more thorough search of your home. They’re looking for anything that could possibly be wrong on behalf of the buyer. Most of what they look for is behind the walls and under the floors.

They will check for things like plumbing issues, pest infestations, HVAC problems, faulty electrical wiring, and general damage. Unlike appraisers, they do not care about the appearance of your house. A lovely looking house can still have safety issues. Inspectors are looking for major problems that the seller should fix. Small issues can be left to the buyer.

If you want to get the home inspected before the buyer requests it, you can schedule your own inspection and fix any issues ahead of time. This will speed up the process when you’re closing the sale.

What to Do with the Results

The worst-case scenario is for the buyer to walk away after the inspection. This means the seller will have to put the home back on the market and explain why the previous buyers walked away. It’s almost guaranteed to affect the value of the home.

The next best scenario is that the buyer opens negotiations. If there are health and safety issues, the seller will have to pay to get them fixed. The value of the home won’t change, but repair costs will lower your overall return.

The seller can also refuse to make the repairs. If there are people lining up to buy the home, the most cost-effective option for the buyer could potentially be to move on to a different buyer. The people waiting in line might be happy enough to get the home after being denied initially that they will be willing to make the repairs themselves.

You’ll likely need to go through both processes when selling your house. Do some research into the most common problems during home appraisals and inspections. If you can fix those common issues, you’ll be less likely to have problems down the line.

Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey

Photos via: Houzz

Professional inspectors will check your foundation, walls, electrical system, plumbing, roof, and HVAC system. They’ll also check your smoke, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide detectors and look for any signs of water damage.

Who Benefits From an Inspection

These inspectors are looking out for the interests of the buyer, not you, so it’s important to make sure everything is up to code and working. They will not go easy on you.

If there are problems with any of these things, the buyer could back out or lower their offer. Many buyers wait to do this until after a purchase agreement has been signed. As the seller, it’s best to do it beforehand as well so there are no surprises and you get the maximum value for your house.

When the inspectors come, you should have done everything that you’re capable of handling yourself. There are also steps you can take to make the inspector’s job easier. A 4 point inspection is often requested by insurance companies for an accurate premium evaluation, Murray Home Inspection explains.

Get the Most Out of Your Home Inspection

Make Sure Everything Is Clean

This should probably have been done already, but if you’ve been putting it off, this is a great motivator for you. You’ll just make the inspector’s job more difficult by having things a mess when they show up, and you do not want to get on their bad side.

Even if there are issues with your house, you can at least make it look like it’s well maintained by removing clutter and cleaning things like the stove, furnace, attic, closets, and perimeter of the house. If an area is blocked, that’s a red flag to inspectors. They’ll think you don’t want them to see it. Give them free access.

Household pests will ruin your home inspection. If you have bugs, mice, bats, squirrels, or birds living in your walls, you need to hire someone to remove the pests and seal your house. Don’t even think about trying to pass an inspection without removing pests.

Test Everything

Even if you’re sure something works, test it. Attic fans, heating ducts, weather stripping, lights, locks, and windows that don’t work or need repairs are going to cost you money whether you like it or not. It’s better for you to find out yourself than to have the inspector find it.

Re-caulk around your bathtub and sink, unclog drains, fix or replace windows and doors, and cover up your crawl spaces. Even something as simple as a light bulb can hurt your wallet.

If the bulb is out, they might start to question the quality of your house’s wiring. They might even just write down that there is an unknown issue without testing it. Don’t give them the opportunity. All of your utilities will need to be left on in order for them to test everything. Make sure you don’t turn them off before the inspection.

Make Repairs

If you do discover that you have faulty wiring, a professional electrician can help you fix the problem and look for other issues. Any problems should be taken care of by a professional if you can afford it. It will only raise the value of your house. Remember, the inspector has the interests of the buyer in mind. They are not looking out for you.

The buyer might want to know about any recent renovations, so keep the paperwork just in case. If you don’t have something, contact the contractor you worked with. They will likely have documents on record that you can use.

Leave the Inspector Alone

If the buyer requests the inspection, you’ll be asked to leave. You should do the same if you’re having an inspection done ahead of time.

This is to make sure the inspection is done as honestly as possible. You don’t need to be involved. All you need to do is be on time for the inspection to let them into the house. They’ll likely start outside the house, and they might not even talk to you before they start. Just be ready when they knock.

Relax! Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!

An inspection can be nerve-wracking because it’s the final step before you can be done with the process and start enjoying your new place. If you’ve done your due diligence, the inspection should go smoothly and you can move on to closing the sale. Breathe easy!

Guest Post Contributor

Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey