How to prepare for a home inspection as a seller
A clean home ready to be inspected
Here are a few easy ways to prepare your home for inspection to make things go smoothly
Clean-up & tidy your home
When inspection day rolls by things go more efficiently when you home is cleaned up. Cleaning up comes in different forms, from clearing up laundry and items off the floor, clearing out appliances like clothes washer and dryer, oven, and dishwasher so they can be tested properly. Dirt or scuffs that can be confused for algae or mold growth.
Make every important home system, and area accessible
This step goes hand in hand with cleanliness, but sometimes even in a tidy and spotless property there are situations where the attic access hatch is obstructed. Always clear out area in front of attic access points, crawlspace access points, and the area in front of any and all electrical panels. Water heaters. visible plumbing beneath sinks vanities and any shut off valves should readily accessible and easily be evaluated without having to move around personal items. Even something as simple as keeping the driveway and garage clear of vehicles, goes a long way.
Important Documents if any should be available
Sometimes when a homeowner installs a set of new impact windows, garage overhead doors or even makes a major change or repair, documentation should be available IF necessary. There are occasions when documentation is needed to obtain a new insurance policy, and it just cuts out time searching through piles of paperwork.
Please be respectful to the contractors & Inspectors
Okay this one seems like a no brainer but it’s really not.
Inspectors and contractors understand the level of intimacy and trust that is required to allow strangers into your home. With that being said, if this is a situation where a seller is willingly selling their home, then please don’t give your buyers team a hard time. It’s not too often but there’s moments when a seller becomes angry, pushy, or disrespectful. It comes in different forms depending on the situation but the most common are rushing the home inspector and becoming aggressively defensive about uncovered defects on a home. Allow time for a thorough inspection, you would want the same if the roles were switched.