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The house should be thoroughly cleaned and decluttered before the inspector arrives. This helps the inspector easily access all necessary areas, thus allowing for a smoother inspection. A clean house also “shows” better to the inspector and to all parties that are present at the inspection. Many times, the buyer comes to the inspection, so it is important that they are pleased with the state that their future home is in.
Be sure to replace all blown bulbs in the home before the inspection. A blown bulb may signal to the inspector that there are electrical problems with the home. This could lead to problematic inspection results, and even a visit from an electrician. An electrician could decide there are major electrical problems with the house, and prompt the buyer of the home to demand very costly and time consuming repairs.
Be sure to declutter and make all areas of the home easily accessible for the inspector. It is not possible to hide problems with the home forever, so it is best to face them head on. If an inspector is unable to access an area of a property, they will request access and have to return for a second visit. It is best to get the entire inspection completed in one visit, and deal with any problems with the home once the inspection results are received.
Before the inspection, read over the disclosures and make sure that all information is correct. It is necessary that all information is correct before the time of inspection. Some important information to check are dates and that all fields have been filled out with proper information or not applicable.
Trim vegetation away from the home before the inspection. This makes for easy access for the inspector to all outside entrances or areas that need inspected. Easy access helps to ensure that all necessary information can be collected in one trip by the inspector. This also helps the home look well kept to both the inspector and to the buyers.
Be sure to change all HVAC filters before the inspection. Clean HVAC filters signals to the inspector that the home and HVAC system specifically are well maintained. This helps prevent the likelihood of HVAC problems reoccurring in the inspection results. HVAC repairs can be expensive and lengthy, so it is best to attempt to prevent these repairs.
It is important for real estate agents to prepare sellers for the inspection. Before the inspection, real estate agents need to advise the sellers on how to best prepare and show them sample inspection results. Inspection results, many times, can seem daunting and confusing to sellers. By showing sample inspections, sellers will be able to better understand and react to their own inspection results. Inspection companies should be able to provide sample inspection results to real estate agents.
Before the inspection, the gutters on the home should be cleaned. Clean gutters help the inspector easily view them and inspect for any needed repairs. Clean gutters also limit the possibility of needing to have the gutters cleaned on the inspection results.
Check all sleeping areas for a functional window. All sleeping areas must have a functional window in order for them to pass inspection. If a window is broken or not functional in a sleeping area, try to have this corrected before the inspector arrives. This ensures there will not be problems with windows in sleeping areas in the inspection results.
Make a plan to remove all pets from the home during the inspection. In order for the inspection to occur smoothly and in a timely manner, pets cannot be present on the property. Pets could prevent access to a room or create disturbances that interrupt the inspector. It is best to plan ahead and find a way to remove all pets from the home, rather than trying to make the inspector work around them.