10 Tips on How to Get Your Home Ready for an Inspection

Home Inspection Servcies

Homeowners already have a laundry list of things that need be done get the home ready to be shown. Now that you have received and accepted an offer, the next step is to have your home inspected.

There are many items that often get overlooked because you walk through your home on a daily basis, but the home inspector will have a fresh set of eyes on your property and he will be able to tell if there are major issues that need to be taken care of before the home is sold.  Here are a few items that you can do on your own to prepare for the inspection.

 

  1. Remove trees or mulch from the siding, rule of thumb is that your brush should be at least six inches away from your house.
  2. Make sure that your gutters are all in working order, run the hose through the gutters to clean them out.  Also, all water should be diverted from your house when it drains through.
  3. Clean out the attic, garage, shed and crawl space, these areas need to be easily accessible for the inspector.
  4. If there are large cracks in your driveway, take time to seal them up before the inspector comes.
  5. If there have been any major repairs done or you have warranties on anything for your house, leave out the proper documentation to show that you are on top of costly items.
  6. Be sure that your house complies with your town’s laws on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in each room and floor.
  7. Leave all of your utilities connected, the home inspector will test everything to ensure that it is in working order, even if your home is vacant make sure that everything can be tested.
  8. Ensure that your plumbing is all in working condition, including hot and cold water, if there are any leaks; make sure to seal them up.
  9. Clean or replace your heating and air conditioning filters, these items will be tested during the inspection.
  10. Be prepared to leave your house for at least 3 hours.  This will give the inspector enough time to go through your house and answer any questions that the buyer may have.  It is often incredibly uncomfortable for the buyers to ask questions if the current homeowner is present.