As a real estate agent, your clients trust you and your guidance throughout the buying and selling processes. When things are competitive and devolve into a bidding war, it can be easy to let some things go by the wayside. What’s one thing that should never be skipped? The chimney inspection. Here are five reasons your buyers should insist on a chimney inspection.

Protect Their Investment

Chimney and fireplace problems are not just a small nuisance—they can be deadly. A chimney inspection is one way to make sure that the home your buyers are purchasing is safe for them to occupy and use. Many seemingly small chimney issues can be indicative of bigger structural or moisture issues, and a chimney inspection is the only way to catch them.

Chimney Inspections Are Different

Home inspectors are highly trained in a broad variety of things, and they are fantastic at catching things like leaks, foundation cracks, or general safety issues. However, they might not be the best at catching small problems that lurk within a specific part of the home. Just like you’d head to the cardiologist to deal with specific heart problems, your clients should work with a chimney inspector for a chimney inspection.

Negotiate the Sale Price

Did you know that chimney repairs, depending on the severity, could cost up to $5,000 or more to remedy? While $5,000 might not seem like a lot compared with the cost of a home, a chimney inspection can give you and your clients a more detailed picture of the state of the chimney so that you can negotiate with confidence. Some severe chimney issues need to be fixed before the fireplace can be used, and repairs could be bundled in as a condition of the sale.

You Don’t Know What You Can’t See

Finally, one of the other biggest reasons to insist on your clients scheduling a chimney inspection is that you simply don’t know about what you can’t see. A chimney that looks perfectly fine from the outside could be hiding incredibly flammable creosote on the inside, or debris that increases the chances of a carbon monoxide issue.

Help Your Clients Move With Confidence

Call Clean Sweep Maryland today at 410-558-1111 for professional chimney sweep, slate roofing and duct cleaning services designed to keep all your listed properties clean and safe for sellers and buyers. If you have a prospective home buyer or home seller in need of chimney inspection or repairs, we are here to help.