Hello, to all my home sellers! There are some fundamental rules to follow when it comes time to sell your New Orleans home. We will ask you to ensure fresh landscaping, touch up any nicked paint, and keep it clean. But, often, if you’re not living in the home, our home sellers forget the MOST IMPORTANT rule of them all – DO NOT TURN OFF THE UTILITIES!
Why do I have to keep the utilities on?
As per your Louisiana residential agreement to buy or sell, you must keep the utilities on for inspections, the appraisal, and the final walk-through. Every day the utilities are not turned on, the inspection period will automatically be extended until they are turned back on.
The other reason you should keep the power on at home is that no one wants to tour homes with no air-conditioning on in this southern heat.
What happens if I turned the utilities off before we listed the house for sale?
Get them turned back on ASAP. Once you have gone over six months with power, gas, or water off – the parish requires you to bring the house up to the current code before they allow utilities to be flipped back on. (this will require getting a licensed plumber or electrician, getting permits, and paying hundreds of dollars – if not more!)
Having just been through this on a property in Orleans parish, it took us almost three months to establish the power in the house again. Do not make this same mistake!
Make your life and your Realtor’s life easier by leaving all utilities off until the day of your closing!
Ready to sell your New Orleans home? Start by messaging us!
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