DanielleRiggio
Danielle Riggio Blog

Subscribe and receive email notifications of new blog posts.




rss logo RSS Feed
Agent Promotion | 1 Posts
Agent Spotlight | 1 Posts
Awards | 1 Posts
Buy a Home | 1 Posts
Laffey Knows | 333 Posts
Outside the Box | 22 Posts
Things to Do Transportation Laffey Real Estate Long Island Real Estate Historic Landmarks Montauk Lighthouse Buy Luxury Home Luxury Living Luxury Lifestyle Citi Field New York Mets Family Fun Historic Homes Forest Hills Queens Real Estate Queens homes for sale Oheka Castle Realtor Real estate agent Golf Courses Local businesses Area information Local attractions Restaurants Nassau County Community Events Homeowner Tips holidays Open house Home improvement tips For sellers Local wineries Area photographers For families Fitness centers New Year's resolutions For Buyers Mortgage First-time Buyers Buy a House REALTORS® Top Producer Oyster Bay NY Charitable Events Curb Appeal Home Seller Tips Festivals Sell Your Home Agent Recognition General news Relocation LeadingRE Moving Inherit a House Real Estate Agents Agent Awards Careers Personal Health Senior Community Downsizing Luxury Portfolio Leading RE Follow The Orange Social Media Suffolk County Homebuying tips Gated communities Finance a home Queens County Landscaping Online classes For Owners Home Tech Virtual Tour Gardening Home Maintenance Real Trends 500 Philip Laffey Mark Laffey Donnamarie Chaimanis Melville NY Fernand Leger Steve Schappacher Shappacher White DPC Virtual Home Showing Virtual Open House Bakeries Northport, NY Port Washington, NY Smithtown, NY Levittown, NY Rockville Centre, NY Offers Great Neck NY Huntington NY Farmingdale, NY Babylon, NY Astoria, NY Long Island City, NY Centerport NY Albertson NY Briarwood NY Atlantic Beach NY Bayville NY Bellmore NY Brookville NY Carle Place NY Centre Island NY Glen Cove NY Nissequogue NY East Hills NY East Williston NY Staging Roslyn NY Roslyn Estates NY Roslyn Harbor NY Roslyn Heights NY Sands Point NY Sea Cliff NY Syosset NY Uniondale NY Upper Brookville NY South Huntington NY Stony Brook NY Rego Park NY Rockaway Beach NY Springfield Gardens NY Sunnyside NY Saint James NY Amityville NY Asharoken NY Commack NY Bayside NY Bellerose NY College Point NY Central Islip NY Glen Head NY Hempstead NY Hewlett NY Hicksville NY East Northport NY Fort Salonga NY Hauppauge NY Huntington Bay NY Huntington Station NY Elmhurst NY Floral Park NY Flushing NY Fresh Meadows NY Glen Oaks NY Jericho NY Lattingtown NY Laurel Hollow NY Locust Valley NY Manhasset NY Matinecock NY Merrick NY Mill Neck NY Mineola NY Muttontown NY Kings Park NY Lloyd Harbor NY Lloyd Neck NY Jackson Heights NY Jamaica NY Jamaica Estates Little Neck NY Malba NY Middle Village NY North Hills NY Oceanside NY Old Westbury NY Plandome NY Westbury NY Williston Park NY Woodbury NY Wheatley Heights NY Wyandanch NY Queens Village NY Whitestone NY Deer Park NY Dix Hills NY Douglaston NY Richmond Hill NY Cold Spring Harbor NY Copiague NY Parades Non-profits Outdoors Recreation Food & Drink
October
31

Repairs Before Listing - Laffey Real Estate

With home values at historic highs, many homeowners are rushing to put their houses on the market to take advantage of the increase in their equity. But our real estate agents want to caution sellers that hasty decisions can mean necessary repairs can go unidentified and delay closing the sale. A pre-inspection can be a worthwhile investment and reveal issues that can be resolved before listing.

  • Inoperable Appliances
    Sellers typically leave kitchen appliances, including a refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher, but built-in items may also include microwaves. Less considered but equally important items include water heaters, heating, and cooling. FHA loans require all appliances that contribute to the home's value are fully operational. Further, the electrical system must be able to support the operation of these appliances safely.

  • Plumbing Problems
    No one wants dripping faucets or toilets that don't flush properly. But inspectors don't stop there. They look for signs of water damage from faulty pipes. While they're at it, they check to see that the correct pipes were used and that there are no cross-connection problems. This means that there is a point where clean drinking water could come into contact with contaminated water due to backflow. So, connecting pipes must be thoroughly inspected to ensure no issue exists.

  • Asbestos or Lead Paint
    Asbestos was used in construction until the 1970s. New York homes built before this have the potential to have been built with products including asbestos or lead paint. It is frequently found in vinyl flooring, insulation, and ceiling tiles. If the inspector finds asbestos, the report will include recommendations for resolution, which a specialist in the field should do.

  • Pests
    A pest inspection will search for signs of insect damage, such as termites and roaches, that can damage the structure or create a health hazard. In addition to bed bugs and fleas, inspectors will look for signs of rodents. Pest control companies do more than spray for bugs. They also search for and seal holes where unwelcome creatures can enter. 

  • Roofing Problems
    Roof inspections will uncover any loose shingles or tiles, clogged gutters, and leaks. If the roof fails the inspection, the buyer may not be able to get a lender to give them a mortgage, and home insurance will be difficult to obtain. Whether the buyer or the seller pays for the repairs is a matter of negotiation, but either way, the process could slow down the closing process.

  • Electrical Hazards
    An electrical contractor can discover and correct common issues such as taped or spliced wires, missing or faulty GFCI outlets, and improperly installed circuit breakers. GFCI outlets, or ground-fault circuit interrupters, are circuit breakers on individual outlets designed to protect people from electrical shock in places like bathrooms, which could be exposed to water. The inspection is generally inexpensive, as well as the repairs if addressed in a timely fashion. 

  • Fire Hazards
    In addition to the electrical issues discussed previously, home inspectors will check for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. They will check to see if fire extinguishers have current certifications. They will check to see if windows and doors are in good working condition, opening, closing, and locking easily. 

Many of the repairs discussed are inexpensive and can be done by the homeowner, leaving the more extensive repairs to the experts. If you have addressed most of them or need additional assistance from an experienced real estate professional, contact us. We'll help you navigate the sales process and maximize your profits swiftly and stress-free. 

Disclaimer: All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information on this site was last updated 03/06/2026. The listing information on this page last changed on 03/06/2026. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of Delta Media Group MLS (last updated Fri 03/06/2026 12:00:22 AM EST) or OneKey MLS (last updated Thu 03/05/2026 11:53:19 PM EST). Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Laffey Real Estate may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy / DMCA Notice / ADA Accessibility

Login to My Homefinder

Pixel