This $10 device can save homesellers thousands. Homeseller Tips




  The original version of this blog was published by Maryland Home Inspection Contractor’s, homeseller advice blog.


If you are selling a home, the buyer will undoubtedly request a home inspection. The repairs that are required after the inspection are usually up for negotiations and often depend on the type of financing your buyer has elected to use. 
The most common repairs have to do with safety. 9 out of 10 times, they have to be fixed and it is usually the responsibility of the home seller to pay for these.

One Common (preventable) item: 
If you are not aware, your outlets have 3 wires connecting them, which supply the right amount of (safe) power. The positive, neutral, and ground all have a specific purpose and are safest when installed correctly and in the right spot. 
This is why during the home inspection, your inspector will test each/ every outlet for ”polarity”, which is a way to
If you are not aware, your outlets have 3 wires connected which, supply the right amount of (safe) power. The positive, neutral, and ground all have a specific purpose and are safest when installed correctly and in the right spot. 
This is why during the home inspection, your inspector will test each/ every outlet for ”polarity”. Incorrect polarity could signify the outlet was wired improperly, a defect with the plug, and it can cause many issues resulting in a risk of electrical shocks. It’s VERY important.

If you are not aware, your outlets have 3 wires connected which, supply the right amount of (safe) power. The positive, neutral, and ground all have a specific purpose and are safest when installed correctly and in the right spot. 
This is why during the home inspection, your inspector will test each/ every outlet for ”polarity”. Incorrect polarity could signify the outlet was wired improperly, a defect with the plug, and it can cause many issues resulting in a risk of electrical shocks. It’s VERY important.

When you are preparing to sell your home, add “test outlets” to your pre-sale home improvement check list. There are several ways to test but we find the easiest to be a small tool that is under $20. That tool (pictured), simply plugs into each outlet and based on the lighted bulbs, will tell you if there are any issues with the plug. If you do not have this tool, ask your Realtor, who often carry these for this purpose. 

How is saves:
This is very simply and can easily save you thousands of dollars. When a home inspector finds an issue like reversed polarity, they typically recommend a “licensed electrician” remedy the situation. The issue is that when you receive the report, time is of the essence and most electrician will have to assess an emergency or urgent fee for the work. This can sometimes add to $200+ per outlet and where there is one plug with reversed polarity, there are usually more.;alsdfjk Before your list, run this test. You can then hire the electrician or a qualified handyman to make the repairs on a more relaxed schedule and ultimately save. It’s better to think ahead and pay $45 to $75 per hour than $250 for an emergency call a few days before settlement. 

WARNING: OUTLETS, NO MATTER THE POLARITY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE ELECTRIC SHOCK. EVEN IS NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE IS PRESENT, RISK CAN BE HIDDEN AND RESULTS CAN BE DELAYED, GIVING A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. IF YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS PROJECT ON YOUR OWN. WHEN HIRING A PROFFESIONAL CONTRACTOR OR ELECTRICIAN, BE SURE TO CHECK THEIR QUALIFICATION FOR THIS PROJECT AND CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITY TO VERIFY WHAT THESE QUALIFICATION ARE.  CONTACT A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. 

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