There are many items during a home inspection that you should be aware of as a buyer and as a seller. Here are some items that may strain the deal in a home inspection and could cause you to lose the contract on a house. Sellers need to know if the house is prepared for an inspection. Buyers need to know if the home is poorly maintained. Are stored items blocking the attic, electric panel, areas below split foyer stoops, HVAC system, etc.? Do all the utilities work? Look for product failures, such as...

• Polybutylene
• FRT
• Aluminum wiring
• Federal Pacific Stab-Lok Electric Panels
• Exterior Insulated Finishing System (EIFS)

Here are a few tips for sellers. Have older HVAC, septic and fireplace systems cleaned and serviced. Provide a copy of the service receipt for the buyer and inspector. Items that could kill your deal are best repaired by a professional. In some cases, you can do them yourself but you need to be aware of the liabilities you could be incurring by non-professional repairs, substandard workmanship and product warranty failure. Be careful of advice from builder friends