Spring has sprung! Even more important than buds, birds, and bees, spring brings buyers! When buyers are looking for a place to nest, they would really rather not see problems. As it turns out, nearly every home inspected has problems or imperfections of some sort or size. Most issues are very minor and simple to correct. Almost all are a result of deferred maintenance.

Most of these simple deferred maintenance problems, when discovered during the home inspection, cause the majority of the headaches when trying to bring a contract to close. With the five quick checks described below it is probable that 90% or more of the minor maintained items typically discovered in the home inspection could be eliminated, and with them a great portion of the time and stress associated with their correction:

• Dirty Filter and Coils in the Heat Pump. The clean and efficient flow of conditioned air as well as the longevity of this very expensive system is dependant on proper airflow. A professional cleaning is most always well under $100. Routine filter replacement can be done by a homeowner for about a dollar.

• Poor Caulking of Ceramic Tile in the Tub and Shower Area. The cost to repair or replace a rotted shower wall often exceeds thousands of dollars. This is an avoidable event! A homeowner can accomplish caulking of tiled areas easily for under $20. If a crack in the caulk or grout is visible, you can believe it's large enough for water to pass!

  Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) not Properly Functioning. GFCI's are the electrical outlets that have the "press" and "test" buttons. These devices are critically important in reducing the chance for electrocution. The homeowner can test the devices by pushing the "test" button. The cost of a new GFCI is less than $10. They can be installed in less than 10 minutes.

• Amateur Workmanship. When something looks like an amateur did it, that means an amateur did it, even if the perpetrator was paid for his work! When amateurs do things, the materials are often improper for the intended purpose or of poor quality. Many times they are both. Seldom are proper permits pulled or inspections performed when work is performed by amateurs. Amateur work is also difficult to maintain. Amateur work and the people who perform it always complicate a closing.

• Wood Rot. Closing contracts sure would be simpler without wood rot. It sure would be nice to see a home listed that said "clear WDO on file". Consider doing the WDO inspection at the time of listing to greatly reduce the greatest challenge in Florida real estate.

The act of selling real estate can be made simpler, more enjoyable, and more profitable by educating buyers and sellers about preventative maintenance. Spring is a time of renewal - renew your interest in home care and take a few simple steps to keep safe, comfortable, and ready for some summer sun!

Wallace Conway

Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inc., the home inspection company he founded in 1994. Beginning as a sole practitioner, he evolved rapidly to become one of the largest firms in Florida. Wally’s rapid growth caught the attention of entrepreneurs in a broad range of business seeking solutions to their expansion questions. Everyone wanted to know, how do you grow from “me to we”?

Wally’s business beginnings were anything but traditional. Twenty-eight days after graduating from high school, he was off to the U.S. Naval Academy. Graduating from Annapolis was the beginning of a career as a Navy Pilot flying from the decks of aircraft carriers, and included service during Desert Storm. Shortly before retirement, Wally realized that he had never had a “real job” or even been on a job interview. He reasoned he was probably the only person who would really hire him; starting a business seemed like the best and only choice. This “need one-start one-build one” attitude has taken Wally on a grand journey of business development.

Wally is a multi-media darling who has grown his business by turning marketing into a profit center. He is a regularly featured expert on the HGTV hit series “House Detectives”, co-host of the series “House Calls”, and host of “The Happy Home Inspector” radio show each week. Wally even turned his enthusiasm for educating into a book, “The Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector”. When the problem of finding cost-effective marketing materials for his inspection company became too frustrating, Wally founded Missile Marketing, a company that targeted the needs of home inspection businesses. Not only did this move bring the lands greatest marketing tools to his company, it actually made a profit selling marketing solutions to businesses across the U.S. and Canada!

The underlying theme to Wally’s approach to business growth and development is that beneath every business expense lies a potential profit center. Wally’s wit, wisdom, and wealth of real world experience are certain to inform, enlighten, and entertain!

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