I used a Real Estate agent to sell my house and she was wonderful. She helped me over two weekends to paint, walked my dog and has generally been super.
However the people who bought my house had a shitty agent, who didn’t get them to get a home inspection (which, with the crack in the wall they should’ve) or do a condition statement.
So, on one hand my agent was excellent, their agent sucked.
Remember, they work for you, if you don’t feel they are working for you, go elsewhere.
Get the place inspected for termites and other wood-destroying organisms.
And make sure it’s done by someone who is licensed in the termite category. You may have to call in a separate guy, but it’s worth it. Most large companies, and probably smaller ones, will do a termite inspection for free (goodwill, you know), but even if they charge, it won’t be very much, all other costs considered. But it could save you a bundle.
I don’t want to sound as if I’m bad-mouthing home inspectors. They are pros, and very experienced. We had a wonderful guy do our inspection, and he spent a couple or three hours going over everything with a fine-tooth comb, and we got an 18-page report shortly after. (That’s another thing; if the inspector doesn’t spend a couple hours, he’s ripping you off)
But the thing is, most inspectors have construction or engineering backgrounds. They know plumbing and masonry and carpentry and electricity. But to get licensed in termite subcategory takes time and costs money. Many guys aren’t willing to do what it takes, so they rely on their field experience, what they’ve heard, what they’ve picked up. But sometimes they miss things, or sometimes they misdiagnose. I’ve had inspectors use the word “infestation” when all they saw was old damage.
Make sure you have a proper termite inspection done by a licensed termite pro. If he finds termites, it’s the seller’s responsibility to pay for treatment. If you discover termites six months after you move in, guess who pays for treatment?
It’s worth the time, effort and expense, folks. Trust me, I’ve seen people get burned.
Dave is right about the WDO. I had one inspection for the house in general, and a second one by certified termite guys. As I said, lucky nothing was found, but I echo the recommendation.
turner Thanks for the tip about the sewer lines. I believe most of the plumbing was replumbed with copper and PVC, but I’m not sure about the sewer lines. I doubt the owner dug 'em up. I don’t think the line runs underneath there Mr. Cementboard drove through the yard, but that’s definitely worth checking out. Bless you for thinking of that. I never would have.
Here’s two more tidbits I thought of:
•_Be sure to get contact information from the seller. My friends and I were trying to figure out how we were going to get a queen size box spring up the stairs, which are steep, narrow and twisty (two turns). I called the seller and asked what he thought I should do. First he laughed. Since he’s a carpenter and built the stairs, he volunteered to come over and take out the rails/banisters so we could get moved in. Then he’ll come back and put it all up again. Of course, I’ll pay him for his time, but I’m much more comfortable with the guy who built the stairs doing that than I would be if one if I or my friends tried it. Now I know it will look just like it did before I bought it.
•_It’s simply amazing how much we can do without. Since I’m in flux moving between houses, I have some stuff in one house and other stuff in the other. Several items (like tools) I’ve needed in both places, so I keep moving them back and forth. I keep a screwdriver in each house. I’ve already sold my bedroom set, so the mattresses are on the floor and my folded clothes are in boxes. Guess what? It doesn’t hurt that much. I’ve learned that I do not need a bedframe, or dressers. They’re nice to have, but I could live with boxes for months if I had to. Likewise, I do not need all nine million books I’ve already moved. $20 says I leave 'em in boxes for months after I’m moved. Most of my kitchen stuff I really could toss out and not really miss. I won’t, but I could.
•_Yet another convenience of moving across the street: I do not have a dishwasher in the rental. I do have a dishwasher in the new house. I said to myself, “Dogzilla… why spend 30 minutes washing all these dishes to pack 'em up and take them across the street?” Instead, I put all the dirty stinky dishes in a box, took 'em over, and loaded the dishwasher. I’ve done three loads of dishes and have very little left. Most of them are clean, moved and put away and I didn’t have to wash a thing by hand. That was way cool.