If you are ready to sell your house, you may be wondering how to prepare for a home inspection. Let’s go over a few things you can do to help the process go smoothly.
Provide Open Access to Prepare For a Home Inspection
It will be difficult for the inspector to examine areas that he or she cannot easily access. All areas of the home should be easy for the inspector to examine. Make sure the basement, the attic, and any storage areas are unlocked. Look around your home and verify that the inspector will be able to inspect easily and without having to deal with clutter. Move items that block any of the home’s major systems and areas.
Clear the Exterior Area of Your Home
The inspector needs to be able to view all aspects of the outside of the home including the siding, the foundation, decks, and patios. Clear away anything near the exterior of the home.
Prepare for a Home Inspection: The Roof
You can prepare for a home inspection by making roof access easier for the inspector. Remove any tree branches or leaves on the roof. Clear debris from the gutters and place downspouts in their correct position, and tighten them if they are loose. For a more favorable inspection report, fix roof damage before the buyer’s inspector arrives.
Clean the House
You’ve most likely kept the house immaculate to attract buyers. Don’t get lazy once someone makes an offer on your home. Keep up your regular housekeeping routine so the buyer sees a clean and cared-for home when they come for the inspection.
Replace Dead Bulbs
If bulbs are burned out, the inspector might suspect faulty wiring is the reason for the lighting issue. He or she will need to look into the issue further and that will add time to the process. Or, they might make a note of it in the report and put doubt in your buyer’s mind. Eliminate this possibility by making sure all the lightbulbs work.
Check All Toilets
Are any of your toilets running continuously? You might have become accustomed to living with it, but you don’t want the home inspector reporting on it. Repair the toilet before inspection day.
Install New Furnace Filters
Hopefully, you have been replacing your furnace filters regularly to promote cleaner air indoors and help your HVAC’s condition. Replace the filter with a clean one before the day of the inspection. If the report shows that the filters haven’t been replaced, it could raise concerns about potential HVAC system problems.
Label the Fuse Box to Prepare for a Home Inspection
Is your fuse box correctly labeled? If not, update it to make it clear that the electrical system is working properly.
Inspect All Doors
Check all the doors in the house as you prepare for a home inspection. Make sure they latch easily, that doorknobs are secure, and that all locks work correctly.
Fix Leaks
Check faucets, under sinks, around toilet bases, behind appliances, and near showers and bathtubs for possible leaks. Look for sagging, warping, or buckling walls and ceilings.
AIM-HI Accurate Investment & Mortgage Home Inspections offers home inspection services in middle Tennessee. Contact us to request an appointment.