A LISTING AGENT'S $$$$ DOLLAR MISTAKE
You only have to watch 'Love It or List It' to see all the really bad work done by non-professionals. It's amazing that such shoddy workmanship has gone into so many older homes. You do get what you pay for so hire the expert because in the long run - they are totally worth it and this is a good post for that!
A LISTING AGENT'S $$$$ DOLLAR MISTAKE
A few months ago I posted about a transaction that I was working on called "An Expensive Mistake". The listing agent on the home my buyer purchased took care of the home repairs for the Sellers. This agent hired the contractors personally and paid them out of their own pocket. The invoices were made to this agent.
A long story short, the listing agent use
d non-licensed handy men to repair several electrical issues. The Buyers were not pleased. The buyers insisted that these electrical issues be repaired by a licensed contractor of which was arranged. Shortly after moving in and commencing to use the range and vent hood (one of the items repaired), an electrical fire broke out. Luckily they were able to put the fire out.
The fire department discovered that hidden behind the vent hood were several EXPOSED wires which caused the fire! Their comment was that someone tried to splice them together. Because this botched job was hidden, it would not have been discovered until disaster struck!
The email threads were copied, the invoices copied and off I went to visit the Listing Agent's Broker. I was very pleased with the way the listing broker handled this. Once they saw the emails, the invoices made out to the agent, they knew who was at fault and assured me that this agent would be paying to correct this issue and pay for any damages.
The vent hood now must be completely replaced and is one of those high-end vent hoods. The entire ordeal will cost this agent thousands of dollars which could have been completely avoided by the listing agent doing things very differently. Always have the Seller's arrange and pay the sub-contractors.
Buyer's, you should INSIST on licensed contractors to do repairs such as electrical, plumbing or other mechanical or structural repairs! This incident could have ended in disaster! It is never worth it to skimp on quality!
An expensive lesson learned!
Paula L. McDonald ~ REALTOR®
Broker ~ Managing Principal
9595 Six Pines Drive, Suite 8210 ~ The Woodlands, TX 77380 ~ 936-203-0279
Selling The Woodlands real estate and surrounding areas!
Copyright 2011 Paula Hamilton~McDonald
Comments (3)Subscribe to CommentsComment