I seriously hang out with inspectors too much. I personally have been a homeowner for 15 years and before I became a Realtor I had no idea the extent of maintenance you should do or, what you should watch out for. I have seen rat infestations in crawl spaces so bad that the entire crawl space is a bio hazard and the home owners never even knew.  When I am attending an inspection for one of my buyers I always hold my breath as they go in the attic, up on the roof or in the crawl space. These are the biggest areas of concern I see as “deal killers” if not maintained. Home owners don’t realize just a small hole, trees, branches or any kinds of greenery to close to the house and there could be something either in your crawl space or scaling up to your attic for a big party.

Gross huh? Not just rats but raccoons, opossums, mice, squirrels or one inspector told me the worst he has seen is a house down in the Edmonds waterfront area. A seal had her pups in the crawl space and was bringing fish to them making herself quite a home down there. Thankfully I was not at that one but could just imagine his face going down there with that smell and then seeing a mom with her babies. No wonder he said he practically flew out of there.

I am not trying to make this Tuesday’s Tips about crawl spaces but maintenance in general.  So, like I said, I hang with inspectors a lot and I love following them around and learning on what to look for and what is required. It helps me to be a better Realtor to my buyers and sellers who are depending on me to give them good advice. I have attached a link to one of the great inspectors I have used that enjoy providing me, and, anyone else with good solid information on home maintenance. Take a look  from water problems, to energy savings, LP siding, links to a huge library of home maintenance tips and teaching videos. I trust the inspectors I use. They specialize in the Northwest area and they know what affects our homes in our climate.  If you own a home, are a new home owner or looking to own your first home its always great to educate yourself and keep everything running in the home smoothly!

And remember…

Just say “no” to rats!!

http://www.snohomishcountyhomesinc.com