Making your home more marketable in housing slump

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Story Published: Mar 10, 2008 at 1:55 PM PST

By Azenith Smith

CHARLESTON - It's no denying the nation is dealing with a big housing slump, and that's true for Coos County with more than 700 homes now on the market.

Real estate experts say one of the best ways to make a house more marketable is to make sure it's been inspected properly.

KCBY tagged along with local certified home inspector, Brent Lerwill, as he inspected a Charleston home.

Right off the bat, he says, the number one issue he sees among most homeowners is their interest in appearances, rather than identifying and addressing the home's major safety issues first.

"Very few people go into the crawl space and into their attic," says Lerwill. "Often serious issues can be identified in both of these areas as well as electrical panels."

He adds, this particular house has miswiring in its electrical panels, but also, drainage issues, which is a big problem for many residents on the South Coast.

"These issues can cause undermining of the foundation, can cause moisture issues in the crawl space," says Lerwill. "It can result in mold and pest infestation and rot. These can be very serious issues which can be taken care of by the homeowner for very little or no cost."

He adds, more information can be found on the Oregon Construction Board Web Site at www.oregon.gov/ccb, which includes details on the state's current inspection standards.

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