Test Drive Your New Home

GIVE YOUR BUYERS A TEST DRIVE OF THEIR NEW HOME                                                

A new home is one of the most expensive purchases.  As a Realtor, many things are assessed prior to buying or selling a home to ensure it is the right fit for your clients. You check to see if they can afford it, home inspections are completed and an overall competitive analysis is finalized to determine if this is “It.” Why not give your clients an edge and let them “test drive” their home?

You test drive a car before buying it and that’s a lot less expensive.  Wouldn’t it be great if your prospective buyer could spend a few nights in the home to see how it “handles”?  Of course, no one is going to let you stay in their home overnight just because one of your clients is interested in buying.  However, if you look for certain “indicators” when exploring the home you can alert the buyer to possible issues that may arise after they move in.

Home inspectors examine the home to make sure it’s safe, and built to code.  They don’t check to see if the master bedroom will be so hot in the summer you can’t sleep.  Would your buyer want to know if they were going to dust way too often, especially if they have allergies?  What if you could tell them the utility bills will be higher than neighbors and friends? What if an expecting couple moves in to find out their newborns room is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter?

A home performance contractor can provide answers and solutions to solve home comfort and energy issues. If you look for a few easy “indicators” you can also give your prospective buyers a quick “test drive” of their home.

1. Dirty Carpet Edges:  Dirty carpet edges are a sign of air leakage.  Air is leaking in and out of the home through the walls and into the attic.  The dust in this air is filtered by the carpeting and thus gives you dirty carpet edges.  This is an indicator of a home that will be cold and drafty in the winter, have higher than normal utility bills, and they will have to dust more than normal.
2. Nail Pops in Ceilings: Nail pops in ceilings near the tops of walls is also an indicator of air leakage. In the winter, hot air leaks up through the wall and hits the cold air of the attic causing condensation. This hot/cold, wet/dry situation makes the drywall expand and contract at this location. Thus, allowing the nail to fall right out of the hole it was driven into. Homes that have nail pops in ceilings near walls can be cold and drafty in the winter, have higher than normal utility bills, and have to dust more often than normal.
3. Portable De-Humidifiers: Portable de-humidifiers should not be needed in a home.  The central air conditioning system should be enough to de-humidify the home thoroughly.  If a seller is using a portable de-humidifier they are masking the real issue at hand.  The house has enough leakage to allow hot/humid air in during the summer. Houses that use portable de-humidifiers can have higher than normal utility bills, and also have the possibility of growing mold/mildew if the real issue is not taken care of.
4. Portable A/C Units: Portable AC units are used to also mask an issue of air leakage and/or poor construction/insulation. If a particular spot in a home is hotter/colder than another, it’s an indicator that the cool air being produced is leaking out of the home. So, a portable AC unit produces more cool air in these areas….Why not stop the cold air from leaking out? Houses that use portable AC units will have higher utility bills.

The good news is that all of these items can be fixed once you find them.  They are typically inexpensive repairs and create happy clients.  Why wouldn’t you “test drive” a home? To learn more about Comfenergy and how we evaluate and solve your comfort and energy issues, contact us at www.comfenergy.com or 1-800-604-2252