Preparing Seller’s for a Home Inspection
You live in this world every day and know what to expect. Your sellers do not! It is also much more emotional for them and could be a hard transition.
When you seat the expectations upfront they may never realize what you did to make this process simple but they definitely won’t end in upset because they were unaware o what was to come.
1. Inspectors are Prompt Individuals
They will show up PRIOR to the scheduled start time
Inspectors are timely people, if they are supposed to be at your home at 9 am, they will be there 15-20 mins before 9. Not only do you want to make a good impression by being ready to greet them when they get there, but you also don’t want to delay them.
2. Be COURTEOUS and leave
This is time or the buyer to explore the home in more depth
All new homes must wire alarms into the home electrical system with batteries as a backup system. All alarms must be interconnected so that in the event of smoke or CO detection, all alarms in the home will sound.
3. How to prep your home
The Buyers want to envision their things being in the space
Tidy up as much as you can. Having a clean inside is just as needed!
Not having to climb over a bunch of personal items will make your inspectors job easier, the buyer will also appreciate that you take good care of your home.
4. Access, Access, Access
If a portion of your home is not accessible it will not be inspected
Ensuring that the home inspector can get to every area of your home is crucial to the inspection going well. If they cannot get to an item they need to inspect – like the electrical panel – because it is blocked by a cabinet, they will have to mark it as a defect or that they couldn’t inspect it. This will not only be suspicious to the buyer but also might mean that the inspector has to come back out to your property at a later date, which will draw out the buying process.
Leave keys and pass codes to anything that would need to be accessed, like outdoor sheds and garages. These will allow them to get into the space and inspect it, and they will make sure to close it up properly when they are done.
5. What we do while in your home
Inspectors look and test at EVERYTHING
Inspectors will test all o your thermostats, outlets, GFCI’s, etc. They try to reset everything to how it was but are human. Don’t be upset if you need to reset a setting to your liking. (They should however leave your home in a condition better than they found it.)
Use this link to see everything that is covered during a home inspection. https://www.spectora.com/r/whats-included-in-a-typical-home-inspection/
6. Don’t let the basics get you!
Check these items ahead o time so they do not become a defect in your homes report
- There are no dark light bulbs
- Smoke detectors are working
- All of the appliances are plugged in
- The inspector has access to everything, i.e. there aren’t boxes blocking the water heater, the garage door opener works, etc
- The filter in the HVAC has been changed recently
- Sinks aren’t leaking underneath
- All of the locks are working properly
7. Provide Important documents
Transparency can help your transaction go smoothly
If you have recently had work done on your home, like getting a new roof, make sure to leave documents attesting to the service that you have had done.
This will be helpful for the inspector to know, and will also be an incentive for the buyer, because they will know that they are getting a home that has had updates recently. This is important to a lot of buyers because they know that they will not have to have it done themselves for a couple of years.
BONUS: Extra Tests
There may be additional individuals requested to be in your home
- Radon Tests: A machine will be in your home for multiple days. It does not make noise. Please don’t move it, it will show notifications when you do. You can still use your house like normal but we request a closed home condition. Windows and doors closed. This is not an uncommon test when selling your home.
- Sewer scope will need access to your clean out. Do you know where it is? Have you ever had to access it? Is it covered by a bunch of personal belongings?