Two things not to do when listing a house.
The first thing I do when I enter a house to begin an inspection is to verify that all the utilities are on. Just a few days ago I did an inspection in the Tartesso subdivision way out west in Buckeye on Sun Valley Parkway. First thing comming in the door I rang the doorbell. The doorbell rang so I knew that the electricity was on. Next I went to the kitchen sink and turned it on to see if the water was on. Nothing came on. I went out to the main shutoff valve and turned it on. I went back inside and turned the dishwasher on so that it can run through a cycle while I am inspecting. Then I went out to the truck to get something. When I shut the truck door I saw a large amount of water gushing out of a pipe in the wall by the garage. I quickly shut the water and the dishwasher off. I then went to the garage to see what was happening. It turns out that someone had opened the t&p valve on the water heater and left it open. I closed it and turned the water back on. Everything is working now.
Next I went into the kitchen and tried to light one of the burners on the range. The gas was coming out, but there was no spark from the igniters. I went out to the electrical panel and found what you see in the picture. Three of the kitchen breakers were turned off. This is unsafe because someone viewing the home might turn the knobs and walk away thinking it is not on. The gas would fill the house and either asphyxiate someone or blow the house up.
When you are listing a house it pays to do a few simple things to make sure it is safe and operable.
- Every chance you get you should operate every faucet in the house and flush every toilet. This keeps the water from evaporating out of the p-traps and letting sewer gases into the home. This also keeps the toilet flappers from sticking.
- Take a look in the electric panel periodically to make sure the proper breakers are on.
- Check the gas appliances to make sure all the knobs and controls are off.
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