Buy-and-forget may be great strategy for passive Index Funds, but a home requires regular attention and the little things can do serious damage. Unfortunately, it’s not until preparing their property for sale that many homeowners discover serious problems needing expensive repairs. As seller agents, we are often the bearers of this bad news.

• A blockage in the bathroom waste line and some cracking under the toilet led to extensive, yet undetected, raw sewage damage to a home (including the hardwood floors in the hallway).
• One of our clients lived happily for years unaware that there was an oil tank buried underneath their driveway (thankfully it didn’t leak).
• Not having something as simple as a properly sized dehumidifier in a basement or crawlspace can lead to mold and insect damage that sellers may not be aware of until their buyer’s home inspector takes a look.
• The new landscaper did a beautiful job, everyone says so, but he pushed the mulch right up and under the wood siding and the termites love him for it.

We go to the dentist twice a year and our primary care physician at least once. Isn’t it a good idea to have an inspector walk through your home every so often and make sure things are buttoned up?