The $17 Fix That Can Save Your Deal on Inspection Day

🕵️‍♂️The Inspection Insider

Know What Home Inspectors Look For—And Fix It First
Tips from a Certified Master Inspector to help you avoid surprises.

A few months ago, I inspected a clean, mid-90s home. Fresh paint. Tidy baseboards. Even one of those “Home Sweet Home” signs at the front door.

The inspection was going smoothly and the buyer was very happy and excited. Until we got to the main bathroom.

When I plugged my tester into the bathroom GFCI outlet, Nothing.

I tried the reset button. Still dead. I went and checked the breaker. it was on. Then I checked for a redundant GFCI. No luck

The buyer, standing behind me, asked, “Is that bad?”

“It’s an easy fix,” I told her. But her Realtor wasn’t impressed.

That one dead outlet and the seller ended up paying for new GFCIs throughout the house plus a $1,000 price reduction.

All because of a $17 outlet that could’ve been replaced in about 10 minutes.

Most sellers don’t realize GFCI outlets wear out over time—even if they look brand new.

They fail silently, offering no protection at all.

If I test them and they don’t trip? It gets flagged. Every time.

Buyers lose confidence. Sellers lose money.

I test every GFCI in the home using a professional GFCI tester.

I look for:

These little outlets have one job: to protect people from getting electrocuted.
They sense when electricity is flowing somewhere it shouldn’t—like through water or a person—and they shut off in milliseconds.

But here’s the kicker: they wear out.
And when they do, they might look totally normal… until I test them.

If it fails the test, it goes in the report—no exceptions.

Here’s how to test—and replace—a faulty GFCI:

⏱️ Time: 10–15 minutes
🛠️ Tools: Tester, screwdriver, new GFCI outlet

Or just call a licensed electrician—it’s still cheaper than negotiating after a flagged report.

Just a Heads up: If it fails during the inspection the buyer is going to ask for a receipt from an Electrician. There is no fixing it yourself at that point.

A dead GFCI isn’t just a small oversight—it’s a safety red flag.
And when buyers see one thing wrong, they start imagining what else was ignored.

For less than the cost of a pizza, you can fix one of the most common inspection issues before it ever hits the report.

GFCIs have a lifespan of about 10 years or so. If your house is older than that—replace them all before your inspection. It’s a cheap win that makes you look like a proactive, responsible seller.

The $10 Caulking Job That Could Save You $1,200
Water damage is one of the most common—and expensive—inspection issues.
We’ll show you where to look and exactly how to re-caulk tubs and sinks like a pro.

Ron Henderson, CMI
Certified Master Inspector

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Questions? Comments? Drop me a line at: [email protected]