Preparing for the Home Inspection

Home Inspections.  They have become an essential part of nearly every real estate transaction.  As a Real Estate professional I can tell you that the buyers I have worked with use this inspection to help with their decision making, and also to plan out repairs they need to do in the future.  

As a seller, you should do everything you can to get your house in tip top shape for the inspection.  Replace dead lightbulbs.  Clear the clutter in areas an inspector needs access to (like attic access points, or in front of your basement walls), make sure it is easy to get to all areas of your home.  

First of all, you shouldn't be home for the inspection.  This is the buyers time to go over every detail with the inspector they have hired.  Take your pets out of the house or crate them.  If you have a dog loose in the house or the backyard, they can prevent the inspector from doing their job, and it puts undue stress on your pets.

Don't try to hide anything.  The inspector will find it!  An inspector will run water in faucets, run the dishwasher, start the stove, start the washer and dryer if they are included with the sale.  Make sure all these areas are clean and free of your stuff - if the washing machine is full, your stuff either gets an extra rinse, or if there is an issue, it gets dumped out so the inspector can look inside.  

Treat this time like a showing.  Clear up the clutter, clean the bathrooms.  Remember, your buyers are excited about this purchase, and anxious to see "their" home again.  You don't want them to be frustrated and disappointed.  

Jennifer

Many of these tips were inspired by this article, Ask the Experts:  What Should Home Sellers Do to Prepare for a Home Inspection. by David R. Leopold.  You can follow the link for the full article.