Preparing your Home for a Home Inspection

Home Inspection before going on the market?A professional home inspector will go from room to room testing the heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, electrical, appliances and smoke detectors.  He or she will also evaluate the structure, roof, interior and exterior of the home.  What the home inspector finds to be positive and negative about the home will greatly shape the homebuyers perception of the investment they are in the process of making.  t’s a lot easier to be proactive about preparing your home for a home inspection.  You will avoid opening up negotiation over a laundry list of repair requests and/or monetary credits.  It leads to a transaction that is likely to progress smoothly and it is likely to save you money.

Use this list as a guideline of what to concentrate on:

HVAC system – have it cleaned and serviced.  If repairs are needed, make them.  Make sure it has a clean filter. Clean heating and cooling registers and vacuum inside if needed. Make sure your windows open, close and lock. Check for leaks in faucets and under sinks. Make sure toilets flush properly and are not wobbly. If wobbly, replace wax ring and bolt down firmly. If warm enough outside, de-winterize hose bibs. Make sure all light fixtures and light bulbs are working. Ensure that sinks and tubs drain quickly. Clean gutters. Replace cracked or broken window panes. Caulk around tubs and showers. Clean out grime in faucet filters (to maximize water pressure). Ensure doors open, close and lock smoothly. Ensure drain spouts extend away from the foundation. Make sure anit-tip bracket is in place for the stove. Run all appliances if the house has been sitting vacant. Listen for odd noises and check for leaks. Inspect roof and make repairs as needed. Test electrical sockets for the correct polarity. Test smoke detectors. Provide receipts and warranties for recent repairs and servicing.

Some Sellers decide to have a home inspection before they actually list  their home for sale.  This allows them to make repairs and reduce the chance of having major delays before settlement.  Buyers have been known to back out of contracts if the inspection finds many needed repairs.  They have all rights to do so.  So, before you put your home on the market, cover all of your bases.  You will thank yourself in the long run.