Whenever you are trying to sell your home, as prospective buyer you typically hire a professional home inspector. Home inspectors identify potential problems that could be considered into the terms of a sale or purchase price or help you decide if you should walk away.  Here are some problems we see in failed home inspections:

Improperly Wired Switches

This is a typical problem found during an inspection. People who try to do their own wiring or hire somebody who has only basic electrical skills wire a switch or an outlet. You are always better off hiring a professional for your families safety and so you don’t run into this problem when trying to sell.

Extension Cords

Extension cords are supposed to be used only on a temporary basis . If someone is using extension cords consistently, it means there aren’t enough outlets in the home to handle all of the electrical devices in the home. You see this more often in older homes.

Missing or Faulty GFI Outlets

Faulty GFIs are a major issue even in newer homes in Connecticut because of cheap products and materials. GFI (short for ground fault interrupter) outlets are required wherever an electrical outlet is close to a source of water like a sink. Replacing GFI’s is an easy fix for a licensed electrician. It’s essential that GFIs are kept in good working condition as they are to protect you from electrocuting yourself.

Ungrounded Receptacles

You can check if your own home’s outlets are grounded or not. Ungrounded outlets have two slots to plug into. While grounded outlets have two slots plus a hole for the ground wire that looks like eyes and a node.

Service Panel Problems

Have you looked at your electrical panel and thought it looked a mess or unsafe? We sometimes find things like breaker problems and visible damage to the box. Your  electrical panel needs to be large enough to accommodate a home’s electrical needs and needs to be in good shape.

Missing Smoke Alarms

Every floor in your home needs to have a smoke alarm. Each bedroom should have a smoke detector outside of it. Its recommended to replace smoke alarm units every 10 years and change the batteries every year.