Preparing your home for a Home Inspection
I walked into the home for an inspection, and there were boxes and papers and stuff stacked head high. The home was very dusty and dirty.
The client had warned me in advance that the current owner was a hoarder. However, he thought the house was in a good location. He also hoped that a thorough home inspection would help him get a lower price on the home.
The deal almost fell through because of the dirty conditions and the difficulty of inspecting the home.
In a normal market, the home that is prepared for the inspection will sell sooner.
Despite the condition, the client bought the home at a deeply discounted price.
I occasionally run into homes that are not prepared for my inspection.
This can cause problems during price negotiations and sometimes scare the potential buyer away.
There is an easy remedy to this problem. PREPARE THE HOME!
Here is a short list of things you, as a seller, can do to prepare for the home inspection.
Clean the house. A bright, clean home is more desirable than a dirty home. If you struggle with house cleaning duties, hire a professional company to clean for you. Your realtor will have suggestions of companies for you to contact.
Change or install light bulbs. The inspector is unsure if a bulb is out or the fixture is bad on a nonoperating light fixture. The inspector will always recommend a licensed electrician look at it.
It is always easier for you to do it beforehand.
Tighten electrical outlets, doors, cabinets, etc.
These are minor issues that will make the inspection smoother for the inspector and buyers.
Clear away access to electrical panels, furnace, water heater, attic/crawl space accesses, etc. Inspectors generally do not move things to access these areas for inspection. The goal is a smooth inspection so the buyers will stay excited about the home purchase.
For a more thorough list, see our documents page at https://www.groundfloorhomeinspection.com/_files/ugd/bfd400_9a006286556c40c39fe63bd18a68df4f.pdf?index=true.
Many realtors will recommend a Pre-Inspection to prepare a home for the market. This gives you, the seller, the upper hand on the house's condition during negotiations.
For more information on pre-inspections, see our post at
Written by: Joe Gardino, Senior Professional Home Inspector
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