Home Inspections are stressful for all parties involved. With these few simple tips you may be able to avoid some things that could potentially complicate your deal and delay your closing.
Things to do:
1) Clean house and yard inside and out. Home inspectors need to get up close to items to inspect them if weeds/leaves are around the bottom of the house, the home inspector can’t do his job to the fullest and your buyer may think you are hiding something.
2) Put animals up or take them with you. One home inspector told me a story about a home inspection he did where the dog kept humping his leg. He said it was a frustrating experience and made for a long day. He was a dog owner and loved dogs. However home inspectors like dogs that listen. If Fido is a wild man, put him up or take him with you. You don’t want anything interfering with the home inspectors ability to do his job and get the information the buyer has requested.
3) Clear areas around water heaters ,air conditioners and electrical panels. Any items that cannot be inspected thoroughly because they are blocked by personal items will not be inspected. Again it is in your best interest to give access. The home buyer is paying alot of money for someone to inspect these items. The home inspector will mark them as not inspected and move on if they are not accessible. The buyer may be charged again for a return visit once items are accessible. Or worse this could hold up the closing. So keep your home buyer at ease and save them money by making sure these items are accessible.
4) We know you are moving, but organize your boxes and other things so the home inspector can actually see the house. When boxes are spread around and things are covered, it will be noted as not inspected and the home buyer may feel like you are hiding something.
5) Be on time. The inspector keeps a tight schedule and every minute counts. Unlike a doctor they will not keep you waiting for your appointment time.
6) Give the home inspector space and be sure all locked doors, attics, sheds are accessible. If not the home inspector will mark it down on the home inspection report as not inspected and this could hold up the closing if the buyer requests another inspection at a later date.
7) Check your smoke detector batteries. This is probably one item that is on most reports. Yeah its not a big deal. But if you have 8 items on a home inspection report that need attention and then 2 other smoke detectors don’t work. The report gets long. Your home buyer starts to worry… It’s best that you keep these little items off the report. Remember the report is only going to say it doesn’t work, the inspector has no way to determine why. He may suspect it is a battery but what if it is a $50.00 detector? That’s what the buyer will think, so it’s best to replace the batteries and keep it off the report. Besides it’s a good idea to keep you and your family safe.
8) Change the AC air filter. This is another item that home inspectors look at to gauge how well the unit was taken care of. If he sees a 10 year old filter he will note the condition and again the buyer may get a little concerned. Change the filter and breath easy knowing the buyer will get a picture of the new filter you just installed.
9) Check all lights inside and outside the house. This is another item that may add length to the home inspection report. If the bulb does not work it goes on the home inspection report as a light fixture is not working. The home inspector doesn’t diagnose why. Again anything you can do to keep minor items off the home inspection report the better. Why? Because again you started with 8 items, then 2 smoke detectors, now 2 light fixtures. We are at 12 items and a nervous home buyer wondering how she/he will be able to afford to fix all this if indeed fixtures need to be replaced. So better to just replace the bulbs prior to the home inspection and keep your home buyer’s mind at ease.
10) Go get some coffee. Home inspections can take anywhere between 2-4 hours depending on the size of the house and number of reports the buyer has requested. So remember the inspector is only reporting what is there. You already know what is there. So go have some coffee(or your favorite drink) and relax. By making sure these items are taken care of prior to the home inspection you should see a smaller report with less items and less complications moving forward. Good Luck!
