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When To Schedule A Walk Through And When To Skip It

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Every home buyer encounters love at first sight when they are on the hunt to purchase a home. At least once you will find yourself drooling over pictures of what could be your future house. However, pictures can most certainly be misleading and your time is precious. So before you jump on the phone to schedule a walk through with your realtor, take a second look at those picture. Here are some specific home defects you can look for.

Spacing can be a giveaway

The most popular pictures for selling a home is using a wide scope. This has become a trend in the last few years. And while a wide scope can help give you the full picture of a room, it can also really misshape the space of the room. The house could seem much bigger than it actually is. This is when you encounter disappointment after taking the time to schedule a walk through.

Before you put the house on your calendar take another look through the photos. One way to check the spacing is by looking at items and the distance from one to another. For example, if you are looking at a wide scope picture of a kitchen then you can look at the distance between the appliances. Even in a wide scope photo this should be a pretty good giveaway of the actual space.

Look at the walls and ceilings

In most photos you will have walls in the backgrounds. Sometimes the photos will include the ceilings. Here you can check for any major cracks, discoloration or stains. I wouldn’t make any assumptions based on what you see, but if you do spot a major concern then it could be a dead giveaway.

In many cases, new paint will cover any discoloration that would elude to water damage or mold. You don’t need to worry because if there is any, we’ll find it in the home inspection.

Landscaping can also give you clues

You may be surprised at what you can find in the pictures around the home. Many people overlook clear signs of standing water, flooding or other damage. For example, you may see on the outside of the house a line of debris. This is usually an indication of high water. The house could have problems with drainage.

Also take a look at Google’s satellite image of the neighborhood. Do the neighbors take care of their lawns and homes? This is minor but could be an indication of the kind of neighborhood the house is situated in.

Don’t let pictures deceive you. These homes waste your time and energy when there are many homes you could fall in love with. However, don’t be afraid of any undiscovered concerns. By hiring the right home inspector, you have nothing to worry about.

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How To Get Out Of The Remodeling Rut

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Have you ever started a project and then didn’t finish it? Now when you look back that project is just more daunting than ever. You don’t want to hire someone to finish it because you know you can do it yourself, but you just can’t seem to get motivated. Here are a few things you can try to get yourself out of that remodeling rut and back on track.

Give Yourself A Deadline

Try to give yourself a realistic deadline. Sometimes a date is enough to push you back on the right path. However, sometimes you need a little more. Add a reward to your date. Once you finish the project on the date you’ve set, you also reward yourself with something worthwhile. Whether the reward is related to the project or not is completely up to you.

For example, if you are remodeling your bedroom then the reward can be to buy a new mattress once the room is finished. Or you can take yourself out to dinner. Whatever rocks your boat.

Print A Picture Of The End Result

Sometimes a visual is what we need to keep us motivated. If you have an end in sight, it may propel you to move faster. Print your goal and hang it near your project. If your project is behind a door or not something you see naturally, then hang the visual in a common area. The goal is to see the visual often until it inspires you to start working on the project again. Once you start, move the visual to the place of your project to keep the end goal in sight as much as possible.

Hire Someone And Give In

Sometimes a remodel simply turns out to be harder than you expected. Sometimes your schedule changes and you simply become too busy to make the time. In this case, maybe your best bet is to give in and hire someone to finish. If you do go this route, be sure to interview and receive quotes from at least three people.

Don’t Start A New Project

Sometimes you almost finish a project so you start a new one. Or maybe you get bored with one so you start a different one with the intention to come back to the other project later. If you have an unfinished project that you’re struggling to finish, definitely don’t start a new project. It might seem a like a good idea to start something else and come back to the other one later, but most times you end up with two unfinished projects. Unless you start something small and easy to finish we recommend you don’t even start.

If you are remodeling your home to sell it, be sure to use a licensed contractor for any major renovations. This is especially important for any remodeling the requires you to alter the structure of your house. Be sure to get a pre-listing home inspection before you list your home for sale. Call Divinity Inspection Services to schedule your home inspection now.

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Is Your House Ready For The Cold Weather?

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In Florida we get cold weather pretty late in the year. In fact, for the last few years Christmas Day has been pretty warm in Tampa. But once January rolls around the cold weather starts to roll in and if you don’t prepare your home for the cold weather you could be inviting a host of problems. Here are a few simple things you can do ahead of time to prevent cold weather concerns.

Check your heater

Turn on your heater and let it run for a few minutes. If you haven’t run your heater basically all year, you don’t want to wait until it’s freezing outside to turn it on. This can create an abrupt start to your heating component and lead to faster wear and tear. Instead, choose a day that’s a little cool and turn on your heater. Let it run for about thirty minutes and turn it off. If there are any problems you should find out in that window of time. And better you find out know than find out when you really need it.

Clean out your fireplace

Some homes do have fireplaces in Florida. Yes, that may seem shocking but it’s true. If you have an indoor fireplace that you want to use this year, give it a thorough cleaning. Likely you didn’t clean it after using it last year. Check the flute to make sure it’s working properly. Clean out as much smut as you can and clear out all the old ashes. When the time comes you’ll be ready.

Change your filters

It’s easy to forget to change your filters any time of the year, but even more so during the holiday season. However, with your windows closed and your heater on to keep away from the cold, a clean filter is even more important. The only air you are breathing is the one moving through your house, so make sure you’re breathing clean air.

Clean before you close

Going back to the previous paragraph, you are about to lock up your house. Don’t lock in the dust and dirt with you. Do a pre-winter clean. Just like springing cleaning but for winter time. Clean the house as much as you can, including all the nicks and crannies, so your home stays both fresh and warm.

We hope these tips help you fair the cold weather for as long as we have it here in Tampa. Don’t forget we offer home inspections even through the holiday season.

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Should I Attend My Home Inspection?

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Should I attend my home inspection? This is one of the most common questions we hear. You should definitely attend the home inspection of a home you are wanting to purchase. While you’re there, here are some things you can do and questions you can ask.

What to expect

Home inspections take some time. Three hours on average, all depending on the size of the home. You won’t be following your inspector around so bring something to do while you wait. A good home inspector, like us, will give you some reading materials about home inspections that you might benefit from, which you can read while you wait. In the end, the reason you’re there is to walk through any findings the home inspector will want to explain to you.

Also keep in mind that you’re not alone. By law, a real estate agent must attend the home inspection as well. This is for the safety of the homeowner. Especially since most homeowners don’t choose to stay for the home inspection. They certainly don’t have to stay. While you are with your agent this could be a good time to ask her any questions you have about the home, home inspection, or closing.

Questions to ask

At the very least, you want to speak with the home inspector at the end of the inspection. A good home inspector will walk you through their findings and any concerns that came up in the inspection. These could be small findings or big ones. The important is up to what’s important to you most the time.

If the inspector finds a big issue, such as a flaw in the foundation or mold, this doesn’t automatically mean you can’t buy the home. If anything, you should use this information to renegotiate the deal, assuming you still want to buy the house. This is another reason having your real estate agent with you could be very beneficial.

What to do with the inspection report

The inspection report is certainly worth hanging on to. Not just because you need it for closing, but because it also makes a great to-do-list for the house. Once you have your inspection report you can go back at any time and address the many things that will be on the report. Most of those things are small things but everything would be worth taking the time to do.

Don’t hire a mediocre inspector to take care of your home inspection. Hire Divinity Inspection, a five-star inspection company in Tampa. We go above and beyond not only in our inspection but in our service as well. From the moment you call us to the completed inspection, and everything in between, we will make sure you are happy with our service.

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Five Tips To Sell Your Home

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In Tampa, the real estate market claims it’s a “sellers market”. If that’s true, then now is the time to sell your home! Here are five tips to give you the edge and close the deal.

New paint goes a long way

Not everyone loves bright colors. In fact, if you’re selling your home, go ahead and paint the walls a neutral color. Whether you like it or not is not important. Buyer’s can envision themselves in your home more easily when the paint color is neutral. Neutral colors also make your home look bigger. So don’t worry about whether you like the colors or not, go ahead and throw on a fresh coat.

Create curb appeal

Stand out from the competition with great curb appeal. You don’t have to spend a lot of money in landscaping. Sometimes just getting a good lawn cut, weed the edges, and plating a few flowers is all you need. Don’t forget about your front door. Does that need a coat of paint too?

Be flexible about your timing

Buyers who purchase in the fall intend to spend the holidays in their new home. Don’t insist on staying for one last Christmas with the family. If you’re buyers want to move in, be as flexible as you can be, within reason. Expect the buyer to want you out sooner than later and plan for it.

Offer incentives to buyers

Getting a pre-listing home inspection can be a huge incentive for buyers. A pre-listing home inspection can save a buyer hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket money. Buyers will also appreciate your transparency. Be sure you hire a credible home inspector who will create a thorough inspection report.

Don’t overprice your home

The second a seller hears it’s a “sellers market” they think it’s an opportunity to hike up the price of their home. The fall real estate season is only 10 to 12 weeks. If you hike up the price of your home and are unable to sell, you will have to wait until after the holidays before you see much traction again.

If you’re interested in getting a pre-listing inspection you can count on Divinity Inspection Service. We are a credible and reliable home inspection company. We create thorough home inspection reports that can be transferred to your buyer and we keep the report on record for a year. Schedule your home inspection now.