When you decide to sell your home, you need to ensure that every part of it can pass an inspection before you can sign on the dotted line. That means checking foundations, termite damage, and water damage for most people. However, one area that can potentially get overlooked and cause problems for the next homeowner is your chimney.
Scheduling a chimney inspection before you decide to sell your home not only helps the next person to live in your home but can also increase your home’s value. Doing the little things to help boost that value can help you get a better price on the open market and draw in more potential buyers.
What Goes Into a Chimney Inspection?
Your chimney provides a reliable heat source during the winter months, but that doesn’t mean that you only have to worry about its maintenance during those few months. Since chimney fires account for the second most common cause of home fires, regular inspections are crucial. Chimney inspections can identify serious problems that can potentially become a safety concern for the rest of your home.
A trained chimney professional can come out to your home and inspect your chimney for signs of wear, broken parts, and poor indoor air quality (IAQ). They’ll review every aspect of your chimney to see if they find any areas that need immediate attention. Most chimney inspections cover the easily accessible parts of your chimney, checking the structure, using video scans to check the interior, and more depending on the inspection’s thoroughness.
Checking the Structural Integrity
If you’re buying or selling a home, misdiagnosing an issue with the chimney can present you with serious problems. Your chimney’s structure must remain intact to function at its optimum efficiency. If portions of the stucco or masonry are out of place or start crumbling, it can worsen over time and cause significant damage that ends in expensive repairs.
What Level of Chimney Inspection Do I Need to Sell My
Home?
Chimneys have three levels of inspections that you can use. The first level covers the basics like structural integrity and checking the readily accessible portions that don’t require specialized equipment. A level two inspection uses specialized equipment to inspect the inside of your chimney and check out the hard-to-reach places for signs of wear.
A level two inspection is required for people looking to sell their homes before closing the deal. A level two chimney inspection can help identify any areas of concern and help you address them before you start trying to close a deal.
Do I Still Need an Inspection With a Gas Fireplace?
While gas fireplaces have less of a chance of suffering from smoke damage, it still requires regular inspections to ensure everything is in good working order. If your gas fireplace has suffered damage to the gas line or the gas logs, getting them inspected regularly can catch this type of damage before it turns into a much more severe problem.
Call Tony’s Home Services for Your Home Maintenance Needs!
Getting a trusted and experienced chimney inspector to check out your home before you start selling your home is a crucial part of the process. With special tools and keen attention to detail, a chimney sweep can help you identify problems in your chimney before they become a more serious problem for you or the homeowner that comes after you. Contact the Tony’s Home Services team to schedule your first inspection today!
