You have your home on the market and after weeks of inquiries and showings you have a contract. Good for you! But one of the conditions of the offer is a Home Inspection, and if you haven’t sold a home for a number of years, that prospect might be a little intimidating. After all, having a home inspection isn’t like having a prospective purchaser tour your home; it’s a means of seeing beyond the cosmetics to learn the true condition of the property, so it takes more than dusting, vacuuming and getting the dirty dishes out of the sink to prepare for it.
A Home Inspection requires access to parts of your home that you probably don’t visit on a daily basis, like the attic and crawlspace. When you offer your home for sale, it’s always best to assume that any prospective purchaser will require a home inspection and prepare your property ahead of time.
Here are some tips to help you get ready for your inspection in advance:
Ensure all doors, gates, utility rooms, attics and other areas unlocked, or a key is readily available.
The potential buyer is entitled to a comprehensive evaluation of all areas in the home. In order to facilitate this access to areas should be provided. If you plan ahead, this will avoid delays as you try to find keys.
Remove clutter and provide a clear path through the home.
This ensures the inspector can access outlets, vents, pipes, and the breaker box, and view the condition of walls and floors thereby allowing him to conduct a more thorough inspection. Remember the home inspector will only inspect areas that are accessible.
Ensure that all utilities are on so the appliances, plumbing and HVAC and electrical systems can be evaluated
An important part of the inspection involves inspecting appliances, plumbing and the HVAC system. In order to effectively assess these components the utilities need to be turned on.
Make any repairs you know are necessary, as well as handling routine maintenance issues
Change furnace filters, replace light bulbs and non-functioning light fixtures. Test all smoke alarms and change out the batteries or replace the alarms altogether. These simple steps will allow the inspector to concentrate on other more important issues, and also keep the “small stuff” out of your home inspection report.
Clean up the exterior of leaves, branches and other debris, and clear the access to the crawlspace and outside basement entrance
The inspector will need access to this part of the home to perform a detailed survey of the foundation. He will examine the space for cracks, water intrusion and other defects. The underside of the structure will be examined for any signs of weakness.
Secure your pets and other animals to prevent them from escaping through an open door or getting “territorial” with the inspector.
Remember, you may be accustomed to letting your 6-foot snake or pet bat have the run of the house, but your inspector probably isn’t!
Selling a home can be stressful – hopefully these suggestions will make things a little easier for you when the time comes for your home inspection. If you have questions about preparing for or scheduling an inspection, visit us online at www.sneadhomeInspections.com today.
