{"id":908,"date":"2026-10-08T12:23:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/what-to-check-before-putting-your-house-on-the-market\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T12:47:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:47:27","slug":"what-to-check-before-putting-your-house-on-the-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/what-to-check-before-putting-your-house-on-the-market\/","title":{"rendered":"What to check before putting your house on the market"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube fusion-aligncenter\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HNoTq3iD5l4?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0&amp;rel=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"ec-mention-ia\"><strong>About this video.<\/strong> The person on screen is an AI-generated avatar in my likeness. The voice is mine, cloned from recordings of my own voice, and the editing adjusts the sound. The image and the voice may therefore differ from my real appearance and delivery. The text is written and approved by me, and I take full responsibility for it. This process lets me publish regularly; it changes nothing about what is said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Hello. Fifteen items come up often in pre-purchase inspection reports. Not in every one \u2014 from one report to the next, it&#8217;s never the same. It depends on the house, on the inspector, and on what was accessible that day.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ec-question\"><em>The question, as people ask it: \u201cwhat should I check before selling my house\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Cracks in the foundation walls<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>If there&#8217;s a crack in your foundation, here is exactly what to do, and above all, who to call.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First item on the list: cracks in the foundation walls. Inside the basement, and outside, on the part of the concrete that sticks out of the ground.<\/p>\n<p>We look at three things. The direction of the crack. Its width. And whether both sides have stayed in the same plane.<\/p>\n<p>An unrepaired crack can let water in. That&#8217;s all I can say about it. The cause of a crack, its acceptable width, what it says about the structure: that is assessed by a structural engineer. And watch out for a common confusion: assessing a crack and repairing a crack are not the same trade. The repair is done by a contractor specialized in crack repair, who is not necessarily an engineer. Me, I note that it&#8217;s there, and I tell you who to show it to.<\/p>\n<p>A practical tip. Photograph it with a coin next to it, for scale. Write the date on the back. The engineer will thank you.<\/p>\n<h2>Slab cracks and signs of movement elsewhere in the house<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Is your basement finished? Then the concrete slab is only visible in a few places. Here they are.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Second item: cracks in the basement&#8217;s concrete slab. The floor this time, not the walls.<\/p>\n<p>A slab is often covered. Carpet, floating floor, ceramic. If your basement is finished, you don&#8217;t see it. So look where it stays visible: the mechanical room, the storage space, under the stairs, behind the furnace.<\/p>\n<p>On a basement floor covering, you note discoloration, buckling, or an odour. Those are observations. What they indicate is for a structural engineer to say.<\/p>\n<p>As with the walls, assessing a slab crack belongs to a structural engineer. What you can do yourself is know it exists before someone else finds it.<\/p>\n<p>And look beyond the concrete. An interior door that rubs when it used to close fine, a floor that slopes, a stair-step crack in a drywall wall above an opening: these are observations to write down, with the date. They are not verdicts, and it&#8217;s not up to you to draw a conclusion from them.<\/p>\n<h2>The visible structure: beams, columns, joists<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>If someone finished your basement before you, there are three things to go look at on the ceiling.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fourth item: the visible structure. The beams, columns and joists you can see in an unfinished basement or in a crawl space.<\/p>\n<p>Three things to look at. Is the wood discoloured or spongy to the touch, especially where it touches the concrete. Is a column adjusted with stacked wood shims. And third: has a joist been drilled, notched or cut to let a pipe or a duct through.<\/p>\n<p>That last one is common in basements finished after the fact. A modification made to the structure may have been done by the rules, or not. It can be verified. And it is verified by a structural engineer.<\/p>\n<p>If your basement was finished by a previous owner, it&#8217;s a place to look before listing.<\/p>\n<h2>Signs of water infiltration, efflorescence, mould and lingering odour<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>The white, powdery deposit on your basement concrete has a name. And I&#8217;m not the one who can tell you where it comes from.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fifth item: signs of water infiltration and efflorescence. Two visual observations, on the basement concrete.<\/p>\n<p>Signs of infiltration are rings on the concrete. A wave-shaped discoloration at the bottom of the wall. A stain that stops on a sharp line. The bottom of a stored cardboard box that has warped.<\/p>\n<p>Efflorescence is the whitish, powdery deposit that appears on concrete. It rubs off with a finger.<\/p>\n<p>Those two are symptoms. And that matters, because the French drain itself can&#8217;t be seen. It&#8217;s buried. No one sees it without excavating or without a camera. What we see are its symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>The person who can link a symptom to its cause is an engineer. Not me.<\/p>\n<p>Add what you can see and what you can smell: a dark stain spreading on a finish, a ring at the bottom of a wall, and the basement smell that doesn&#8217;t go away with airing out. The odour gets noted like the rest \u2014 and a visitor will smell it, even if you no longer do.<\/p>\n<h2>The roof and the attic<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Open your gutter and look at the bottom. What you find there tells you about your roof.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seventh item: the roof, and the attic.<\/p>\n<p>The roof is looked at from below, from the ground, with binoculars if you have some. Lifted, split, or missing shingles. And a sign you can see from the ground: granules \u2014 the small gravel that covers the shingles \u2014 at the bottom of the gutters or at the foot of the downspouts.<\/p>\n<p>The attic is looked at from the hatch, without going in, with a flashlight. Two things. Dark stains on the wood of the roof underside or on the trusses. Frost or droplets on the nails and on the wood, in winter. You don&#8217;t walk around in an attic: the rest is looked at by the person equipped to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Careful, these are two different trades. The stains on the wood and the condition of the shingles: that&#8217;s a roofer. The frost and the condensation: that&#8217;s a ventilation contractor.<\/p>\n<p>And I won&#8217;t tell you how many years your roof has left. No serious person will tell you that from a photo.<\/p>\n<h2>The electrical panel, the brand, and the wiring<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Go read the name written on the door of your electrical panel. There are two specific names to write down, without opening anything.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eighth item: the electrical panel. Here is what can be noted by eye, without opening anything and without touching anything.<\/p>\n<p>Four visual observations. Without opening anything, and without touching anything.<\/p>\n<p>One. Is it a fuse panel \u2014 round fuses that screw in \u2014 rather than breakers. Two. What is the service entrance. It&#8217;s indicated on the panel. Sixty amps, one hundred amps, two hundred amps. Three. The brand, written on the door. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok. Sylvania Zinsco. Those two names, write them down if you see them.<\/p>\n<p>Four, and it&#8217;s tied to the year of construction. Between 1965 and 1978, some houses were wired in aluminum on the outlet and lighting circuits. Watch out for the most common confusion: an aluminum service entrance is normal, you find it everywhere, that&#8217;s not what we&#8217;re talking about. We&#8217;re talking about the interior circuits.<\/p>\n<p>Why this concerns a seller: insurance and financing questions are asked directly to your insurer and your financial institution. Me, I note what is written on the panel door.<\/p>\n<p>The person who answers this question is a master electrician who is a member of the CMEQ.<\/p>\n<h2>Visible plumbing and contaminants of the era<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Does your house date from the seventies or eighties? There are four things that can&#8217;t be seen by eye.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last block on the list: visible plumbing, and contaminants tied to the era of construction.<\/p>\n<p>For plumbing, we look at what&#8217;s visible in the basement and under the sinks. A grey, flexible plastic pipe with fittings: that&#8217;s polybutylene. Remember the word. A dull grey pipe, softer-looking than copper. Don&#8217;t scratch it. Note it, photograph it, and show the photo to a plumber. Green or white corrosion around a fitting. A trace of moisture under a joint.<\/p>\n<p>Now, contaminants. If your house was built between 1975 and 1990, there are checks that are done in a laboratory. Pyrite. Iron ochre. Asbestos. Vermiculite in an attic.<\/p>\n<p>And here, the rule is simple: it can&#8217;t be seen. It gets tested. An accredited laboratory takes the sample and gives you a result. No one can tell you by eye. Not me, not an inspector, not a contractor.<\/p>\n<p>For visible plumbing, it&#8217;s a plumber. For the rest, it&#8217;s an accredited laboratory.<\/p>\n<h2>Who to call, and for what<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>I don&#8217;t do the inspection. My role is to know where to look and who to call.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Structural engineer<\/li>\n<li>Decontamination specialist<\/li>\n<li>Roofer<\/li>\n<li>Ventilation contractor<\/li>\n<li>Master electrician (CMEQ)<\/li>\n<li>Plumber<\/li>\n<li>Accredited laboratory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:16px;--awb-content-font-size:var(--awb-typography4-font-size);--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:var(--awb-color2);--awb-border-color:var(--awb-color3);--awb-background-color:var(--awb-color1);--awb-divider-color:var(--awb-color3);--awb-divider-hover-color:var(--awb-color3);--awb-icon-color:var(--awb-color1);--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color8);--awb-content-color:var(--awb-color8);--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color8);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-title-font-family:var(--awb-typography1-font-family);--awb-title-font-weight:var(--awb-typography1-font-weight);--awb-title-font-style:var(--awb-typography1-font-style);--awb-title-font-size:16px;--awb-title-letter-spacing:0.01em;--awb-title-line-height:1.35;--awb-content-font-family:var(--awb-typography4-font-family);--awb-content-font-weight:var(--awb-typography4-font-weight);--awb-content-font-style:var(--awb-typography4-font-style);\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-908-1\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8\" href=\"#f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">What should I check before selling my house?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_f5bcbfb8ad6070fb8\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Hello. Fifteen items come up often in pre-purchase inspection reports. Not in every one \u2014 from one report to the next, it&#8217;s never the same. It depends on the house, on the inspector, and on what was accessible that day.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-647525163a34805c3 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_647525163a34805c3\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"647525163a34805c3\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#647525163a34805c3\" href=\"#647525163a34805c3\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Foundation crack: the 3 things we look at<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"647525163a34805c3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_647525163a34805c3\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">If there&#8217;s a crack in your foundation, here is exactly what to do, and above all, who to call.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-afb1d2269aad458a3 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_afb1d2269aad458a3\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"afb1d2269aad458a3\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#afb1d2269aad458a3\" href=\"#afb1d2269aad458a3\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Finished basement: the spot no one looks at<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"afb1d2269aad458a3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_afb1d2269aad458a3\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Is your basement finished? Then the concrete slab is only visible in a few places. Here they are.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-bb906fe4f7b1932e9 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_bb906fe4f7b1932e9\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"bb906fe4f7b1932e9\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#bb906fe4f7b1932e9\" href=\"#bb906fe4f7b1932e9\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Basement finished by a previous owner: what to look at<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"bb906fe4f7b1932e9\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_bb906fe4f7b1932e9\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">If someone finished your basement before you, there are three things to go look at on the ceiling.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-3e50208aede10360a fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_3e50208aede10360a\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"3e50208aede10360a\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#3e50208aede10360a\" href=\"#3e50208aede10360a\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">White deposit on concrete: the exact word and who to call<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"3e50208aede10360a\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_3e50208aede10360a\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">The white, powdery deposit on your basement concrete has a name. And I&#8217;m not the one who can tell you where it comes from.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-795ba2b6ae0626b88 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_795ba2b6ae0626b88\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"795ba2b6ae0626b88\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#795ba2b6ae0626b88\" href=\"#795ba2b6ae0626b88\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Look at the bottom of your gutter<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"795ba2b6ae0626b88\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_795ba2b6ae0626b88\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Open your gutter and look at the bottom. What you find there tells you about your roof.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-3f1b8dea52c70325e fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_3f1b8dea52c70325e\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"3f1b8dea52c70325e\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#3f1b8dea52c70325e\" href=\"#3f1b8dea52c70325e\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">The name on your electrical panel is worth noting<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"3f1b8dea52c70325e\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_3f1b8dea52c70325e\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Go read the name written on the door of your electrical panel. There are two specific names to write down, without opening anything.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-a8f10fd824c8070ed fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_a8f10fd824c8070ed\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"a8f10fd824c8070ed\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-908-1\" data-target=\"#a8f10fd824c8070ed\" href=\"#a8f10fd824c8070ed\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">House from 1975-1990: what can't be seen<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"a8f10fd824c8070ed\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_a8f10fd824c8070ed\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Does your house date from the seventies or eighties? There are four things that can&#8217;t be seen by eye.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Get a value report for your property, and a marketing plan<\/h2>\n<p>Get a value report for your property, and a marketing plan \u2014 comparables, features, opinion of value<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-button-wrapper\"><a class=\"fusion-button button-flat button-large button-default fusion-button-default button-1 fusion-button-default-span fusion-button-default-type\" style=\"--awb-margin-top:6px;--awb-margin-bottom:6px;--button_text_transform:uppercase;\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Request a value report\" aria-label=\"Request a value report\" href=\"\/en\/contact\/\"><span class=\"fusion-button-text awb-button__text awb-button__text--default\">Request my value report<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Full video transcript<\/h2>\n<p><em>Full transcript of the video above, translated from French. Published September 1, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Hello. Fifteen items come up often in pre-purchase inspection reports. Not in every one \u2014 from one report to the next, it&#8217;s never the same. It depends on the house, on the inspector, and on what was accessible that day.<\/p>\n<p>My name is Ernso Cl\u00e9us. I&#8217;m a residential and commercial real estate broker with RE\/MAX Crystal. Before becoming a broker, I earned a diploma in building inspection technology. Since 2019, I&#8217;ve walked into hundreds of houses with a flashlight.<\/p>\n<p>But these are the ones that come up most often. And if you&#8217;re thinking of putting yours on the market this year, you can look at them yourself. Before the buyer&#8217;s inspector.<\/p>\n<p>One thing before we start: this isn&#8217;t an exercise in verdicts, it&#8217;s an exercise in timing. The goal isn&#8217;t to conclude anything \u2014 the goal is to know early, while there&#8217;s still time ahead.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not going to tell you what it&#8217;s worth, or what it costs, or whether it&#8217;s serious. I&#8217;m going to tell you what to look at, and who to ask.<\/p>\n<h3>Cracks in the foundation walls<\/h3>\n<p>First item on the list: cracks in the foundation walls. Inside the basement, and outside, on the part of the concrete that sticks out of the ground.<\/p>\n<p>We look at three things. The direction of the crack. Its width. And whether both sides have stayed in the same plane.<\/p>\n<p>An unrepaired crack can let water in. That&#8217;s all I can say about it. The cause of a crack, its acceptable width, what it says about the structure: that is assessed by a structural engineer. And watch out for a common confusion: assessing a crack and repairing a crack are not the same trade. The repair is done by a contractor specialized in crack repair, who is not necessarily an engineer. Me, I note that it&#8217;s there, and I tell you who to show it to.<\/p>\n<p>A practical tip. Photograph it with a coin next to it, for scale. Write the date on the back. The engineer will thank you.<\/p>\n<h3>Slab cracks and signs of movement elsewhere<\/h3>\n<p>Second item: cracks in the basement&#8217;s concrete slab. The floor this time, not the walls.<\/p>\n<p>A slab is often covered. Carpet, floating floor, ceramic. If your basement is finished, you don&#8217;t see it. So look where it stays visible: the mechanical room, the storage space, under the stairs, behind the furnace.<\/p>\n<p>On a basement floor covering, you note discoloration, buckling, or an odour. Those are observations. What they indicate is for a structural engineer to say.<\/p>\n<p>As with the walls, assessing a slab crack belongs to a structural engineer. What you can do yourself is know it exists before someone else finds it.<\/p>\n<p>And look beyond the concrete. An interior door that rubs when it used to close fine, a floor that slopes, a stair-step crack in a drywall wall above an opening: these are observations to write down, with the date. They are not verdicts, and it&#8217;s not up to you to draw a conclusion from them.<\/p>\n<h3>The visible structure: beams, columns, joists<\/h3>\n<p>Fourth item: the visible structure. The beams, columns and joists you can see in an unfinished basement or in a crawl space.<\/p>\n<p>Three things to look at. Is the wood discoloured or spongy to the touch, especially where it touches the concrete. Is a column adjusted with stacked wood shims. And third: has a joist been drilled, notched or cut to let a pipe or a duct through.<\/p>\n<p>That last one is common in basements finished after the fact. A modification made to the structure may have been done by the rules, or not. It can be verified. And it is verified by a structural engineer.<\/p>\n<p>If your basement was finished by a previous owner, it&#8217;s a place to look before listing.<\/p>\n<h3>Signs of infiltration, efflorescence, mould and odour<\/h3>\n<p>Fifth item: signs of water infiltration and efflorescence. Two visual observations, on the basement concrete.<\/p>\n<p>Signs of infiltration are rings on the concrete. A wave-shaped discoloration at the bottom of the wall. A stain that stops on a sharp line. The bottom of a stored cardboard box that has warped.<\/p>\n<p>Efflorescence is the whitish, powdery deposit that appears on concrete. It rubs off with a finger.<\/p>\n<p>Those two are symptoms. And that matters, because the French drain itself can&#8217;t be seen. It&#8217;s buried. No one sees it without excavating or without a camera. What we see are its symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>The person who can link a symptom to its cause is an engineer. Not me.<\/p>\n<p>Add what you can see and what you can smell: a dark stain spreading on a finish, a ring at the bottom of a wall, and the basement smell that doesn&#8217;t go away with airing out. The odour gets noted like the rest \u2014 and a visitor will smell it, even if you no longer do.<\/p>\n<h3>The roof and the attic<\/h3>\n<p>Seventh item: the roof, and the attic.<\/p>\n<p>The roof is looked at from below, from the ground, with binoculars if you have some. Lifted, split, or missing shingles. And a sign you can see from the ground: granules \u2014 the small gravel that covers the shingles \u2014 at the bottom of the gutters or at the foot of the downspouts.<\/p>\n<p>The attic is looked at from the hatch, without going in, with a flashlight. Two things. Dark stains on the wood of the roof underside or on the trusses. Frost or droplets on the nails and on the wood, in winter. You don&#8217;t walk around in an attic: the rest is looked at by the person equipped to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Careful, these are two different trades. The stains on the wood and the condition of the shingles: that&#8217;s a roofer. The frost and the condensation: that&#8217;s a ventilation contractor.<\/p>\n<p>And I won&#8217;t tell you how many years your roof has left. No serious person will tell you that from a photo.<\/p>\n<h3>The electrical panel, the brand, and the wiring<\/h3>\n<p>Eighth item: the electrical panel. Here is what can be noted by eye, without opening anything and without touching anything.<\/p>\n<p>Four visual observations. Without opening anything, and without touching anything.<\/p>\n<p>One. Is it a fuse panel \u2014 round fuses that screw in \u2014 rather than breakers. Two. What is the service entrance. It&#8217;s indicated on the panel. Sixty amps, one hundred amps, two hundred amps. Three. The brand, written on the door. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok. Sylvania Zinsco. Those two names, write them down if you see them.<\/p>\n<p>Four, and it&#8217;s tied to the year of construction. Between 1965 and 1978, some houses were wired in aluminum on the outlet and lighting circuits. Watch out for the most common confusion: an aluminum service entrance is normal, you find it everywhere, that&#8217;s not what we&#8217;re talking about. We&#8217;re talking about the interior circuits.<\/p>\n<p>Why this concerns a seller: insurance and financing questions are asked directly to your insurer and your financial institution. Me, I note what is written on the panel door.<\/p>\n<p>The person who answers this question is a master electrician who is a member of the CMEQ.<\/p>\n<h3>Visible plumbing and contaminants of the era<\/h3>\n<p>Last block on the list: visible plumbing, and contaminants tied to the era of construction.<\/p>\n<p>For plumbing, we look at what&#8217;s visible in the basement and under the sinks. A grey, flexible plastic pipe with fittings: that&#8217;s polybutylene. Remember the word. A dull grey pipe, softer-looking than copper. Don&#8217;t scratch it. Note it, photograph it, and show the photo to a plumber. Green or white corrosion around a fitting. A trace of moisture under a joint.<\/p>\n<p>Now, contaminants. If your house was built between 1975 and 1990, there are checks that are done in a laboratory. Pyrite. Iron ochre. Asbestos. Vermiculite in an attic.<\/p>\n<p>And here, the rule is simple: it can&#8217;t be seen. It gets tested. An accredited laboratory takes the sample and gives you a result. No one can tell you by eye. Not me, not an inspector, not a contractor.<\/p>\n<p>For visible plumbing, it&#8217;s a plumber. For the rest, it&#8217;s an accredited laboratory.<\/p>\n<p>Those are the fifteen items that come up most often in pre-purchase inspection reports. Foundation cracks, slab cracks, signs of movement, visible structure. Signs of infiltration, efflorescence, mould. Roof, attic, ventilation. Panel, panel brand, wiring. Plumbing, contaminants.<\/p>\n<p>Look at them at home, from the ground and from the hatch. Without opening anything, without unscrewing anything, without climbing on the roof and without walking around in the attic. Write down what you see, and the date. For everything you don&#8217;t know how to interpret, there&#8217;s someone whose job it is \u2014 and I&#8217;ve told you which one for each.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the step before. Before having anything checked, a seller&#8217;s first question is the value of their property.<\/p>\n<p>I produce a value report. And I also offer a marketing plan for your property. The comparable sales in your area, the features that matter, and an opinion of value. An opinion of value is a brokerage act, and it&#8217;s exactly what my licence allows me to do. The report comes with a conversation, not with a promise. Request it through the links below the video.<\/p>\n<p>And if you&#8217;re already bound by a brokerage contract with another broker, this invitation isn&#8217;t meant for you.<\/p>\n<p>One clarification to finish. I don&#8217;t pass verdicts on a building, I don&#8217;t put a price on work, and I don&#8217;t act as an inspector in any real estate transaction. I observe, and I tell you which expert to call. It&#8217;s different, and it matters.<\/p>\n<p>Ernso Cl\u00e9us, residential and commercial real estate broker, RE\/MAX Crystal. Your broker who knows buildings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ec-maillage\">Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/services\/\">selling your home with a broker<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/real-estate-tips\/\">all the seller tips<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/contact\/\">get in touch<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Ernso Cl\u00e9us<\/strong>, residential and commercial real estate broker \u2014 RE\/MAX Crystal. Your broker who knows buildings.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About this video. The person on screen is an AI-generated  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vendre"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What to check before putting your house on the market<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The 15 items that come up most often in pre-purchase inspection reports, what a homeowner can observe themselves, and which expert to call for each.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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