I am excited to announce the launch of my Expert Series, where I will interview experts about their roles in our community. Joining me for this first installment is Ed Litten of National Pest Control and Construction. Ed has been a home inspector for 10 years, so he has a significant level of experience in his field.

 

The first question I asked Ed to address was, “What are the most common items asked for in an estimate for home repairs?”

 

Any repairs relating to water, Ed says, are the most common. This includes issues in bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms, especially. After that, the roof, siding, and substructure are the next most commonly asked for repairs.

 

Of course, not all contracts are negotiated in the same way. In fact, what is requested versus what is done are not the same thing. So the next question I asked Ed was, “What is the single most common repair you actually make?”

 

Because of the high levels of moisture in our area, Ed actually said that this is a case where the most commonly asked for items tend to also be the repairs he most commonly makes.

 

After hearing this, I wanted to know whether there were any repairs people ask for that may seem, to them, to be a bigger problem than they really are. According to Ed, this can often be the case—especially when it comes to electrical issues. While electrical issues can be dangerous and repairs are certainly important, they are not as expensive to handle as many may think. Replacing an entire breaker panel may only cost around $50.

 

But this cost only amounts for one item. My next question for Ed was, “What is the average cost a seller should expect to pay in total repairs after an inspection?” On average, Ed says, this total tends to be around $1,500. Though the amount can definitely vary.

 

It is also important to realize that even newer homes may require unexpected repairs. Moisture issues, as Ed mentioned previously, are common even among newer homes.

 

Yet, not every repair is expensive. Ed once encountered a situation where the total cost of ordered repairs after his inspection was just $25. In this situation, it was a simple window repair.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the largest repair bill Ed has ever encountered was approximately $96,000. This bill came in after a homeowner purchased a fixer-upper and had attempted to make all necessary upgrades and repairs on their own before ordering an inspection.

 

As you can see, the inspection process can vary greatly from case to case. That said, Ed did have some parting advice for those about to sell their home. “Take care of the minor stuff,” says Ed. Small instances of deferred maintenance can, over time, cause major problems for homeowners.

 

If you have any additional questions for Ed and would like to reach out to him directly, you can email him at nationalpestcontrol_construction@yahoo.com.

And, as always, if you have any other questions for me or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.