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Selling a mid-century home? Inspect the chimney first
Buyers' inspectors in Pierce County note the fireplace on nearly every mid-century listing, and their standard language, recommend evaluation by a qualified chimney professional, lands in the report as an open question. Open questions cost sellers money, because buyers negotiate against the unknown at the unknown's worst-case price.
The pre-listing move
A Level 2 camera inspection before listing converts the unknown into a document. Clean flue: the report goes in the disclosure packet and the inspector's flag dies on arrival. Problems found: you price the repair on your schedule with your contractor, or disclose it with a firm repair quote attached, which beats a buyer's inflated estimate in every negotiation we have watched.
What the packet contains
Written condition report, camera captures of the flue interior, photos of crown, cap, flashing, and masonry, and itemized firm pricing for anything found. Agents around here increasingly ask for exactly this on 1950s-70s listings, for the simple reason that it keeps deals from wobbling in week three.
Common questions
Does a seller have to fix what the inspection finds?
No. Disclosure with a firm repair quote attached is a legitimate path, and it caps the negotiation at the real number instead of the buyer's guess.
How current does the report need to be?
Within the listing cycle. A report from this year carries weight; one from a prior owner or prior years reopens the question it was meant to close.