Required Repairs for a FHA Appraisal on Your Home
When you decide to sell your home, prepare for the best outcome by repairing any defects
After your home is under contract the FHA appraiser will make an appointment to visit your home. Here are the things you need to know:
The first step in most FHA appraisals is the appraisal inspection. During this process, the appraiser will come to your home and measure it, determine the layout of the rooms inside, confirm all aspects of the home's general condition, and take several photos of your house to include in the report. The best thing you can do to help is make sure that you have the necessary repairs made and that the appraiser has easy access to the exterior of the home. Trim any bushes and move any items that would make it difficult to measure the structure. On the inside, make sure that the appraiser can easily access items like furnaces and water heaters.
The Federal Housing administration (FHA) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that properties financed by the FHA meet minimum standards of safety, security and soundness. To comply with these standards, the following are common repairs that are required by FHA appraisers.
- Peeling paint in homes built before 1978
- Broken downspouts and rain gutters
- Rotting shed or other out-building in need of demolition
- Exterior doors that do not properly close and open
- Exposed wiring and uncovered junction boxes
- Major plumbing issue and leaks
- Inoperable HVAC systems
- Leaky or defective roofs; roofs with a life expectancy of less than 3 years; composition shingles over shake
- Active and visible pest infestation
- Rotting window sills, eaves, and support columns on a porch
- Missing or inoperable appliances that contribute to the home's market value; basically, the home must have a functional kitchen
- Bedrooms without minimize-sized windows or bedroom windows with bars that do not release
- Foundation or structural defects
- Presence of moisture in the basement
- Evidence of present or past standing water in the crawl space
- Empty swimming pools, pools without a working pump, and pools with mosquito fish
- Ripped or missing screens, if no air conditioning is present
- No pressure relief valve or seismic strap on the water heater
There are other repairs that are not required but recommended:
- Cracked glass in windows
- Minor plumbing defects such as a dripping faucet
- Missing handrails that do not impact safety
- Worn out carpeting or defective floor finishes
- Test of wells, unless required by local jurisdictions or water is suspected of contamination
Please note that these lists are not exhaustive, and appraisals are subject to the appraiser's opinion and/or the underwriter's decision.
Are you thinking of selling your home? Please give me a call and I can help guide you to a successful sale.
