Real Estate Tip of the Day
Inspect your home’s Fascia Boards for WDO’s
- Go outside, lean against your home’s exterior walls and look up – what do you see?
- Do you see any rotted, decaying fungus digesting moist wood?
- Do you see any termites feeding on the wood or evidence of this?
Don’t give the Buyer a reason to wonder what else is wrong with your home
I only wish I could count on my fingers the number of homeowners selling their homes that have had issues with their home’s exterior roof line fascia boards. Seeing this all too frequently, I’ve come to realize that the most effective way in dealing with rotted fascia boards is to repair them before you sell a home. Don’t wait for the Buyer’s Home Inspector to tell you that your fascia boards are rotted and have evidence of wood-destroying organism (WDO); termites, powder post beetles, old house borers, and wood-decaying fungi. Treatment for the control of WDO’s will be suggested by Certified Termite Inspectors, in order to control, based upon the credible signs of an infestation that they have observed. In addition, it will be recommended that you replace fungi-damaged wood.
It’s important to know that the cost of these repairs before you sell your home will cost you a lot less than having to do it after a Buyer’s inspector reveals it to the Buyer. Now that doesn’t make sense, how could it cost more afterwards, you ask? It is due to the fact that the Buyer will now want to scrutinize every little detail that the inspector might have revealed. They’ll wonder why you wouldn’t have noticed the decaying wood and had not done anything about it; what else did you ignore, they’ll ask themselves? How well have you maintained your home? They may wonder what else have you not maintained? A Buyer doesn’t like the unknown. Those unknowns will cause a Buyer to ask for something which will likely be some type of price reduction and/or credit for needed repairs.
Just what are some of these WDO repairs that you can expect?
-
Treat home by either spot applications for any insect infestation or possibly a whole tenting of your home, depending upon the severity.
-
Cut out any affected rotted Fascia Boards being sure to fix any additional source of a problem, such as a leak.
-
Replace with new properly prepared boards
-
Seal and paint boards.
-
View the Repair Fascia Boards Video below for a more detailed look at what repairs you can expect.
Even if for some reason you don’t heed my advice and just wait for the Buyer’s own inspection to reveal the WDO’s, you can likely expect delays and required repairs by the Buyer’s Lender, if the Appraiser notes any WDO’s present on the home.
So remember, repair Fascia Boards BEFORE you list your home for sale. Find out how here: Repair Fascia Boards
Call me, Lynn Pineda, at 954-464-1100 and I’ll provide you with additional Real Estate tips and answer your question; “should I sell my home now”. Or feel free to email me at LynnP@ImagineYourHouse.com.
Real Estate Article written by South Florida Realtor, Lynn Pineda. eXp Realty Boca Raton
