How to prepare for a home inspection

You’ve done most of the hard work of selling your home. You’ve put advertisements out, found a seller, and agreed upon a price. Now all that stands between you and a successful sale is a proper home inspection.

In most home sale agreements, the home inspection will take place after the paperwork has been filed by the buyer but before the final deal has been closed. The inspection is intended to ensure the home is up to the standards that the buyer was led to believe.

Do you know how to prepare for a home inspection? Nailing an inspection can be key if you want your sale to go through. Read on, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

Provide Clear and Open Access

One of the best ways to start your home inspection off on the right foot is to provide open access to the entire property. Hopefully, you don’t have anything to hide from an inspector. Having areas that feel closed off or hard to get to can give the inspector and your potential buyers the impression that you do, though.

Make sure to clear away any objects that might block access to certain parts of the home. Make sure they can access the basement or attic, as well as under sinks and in closets.

The easier your home is to move through, the more likely you’ll have a quick and painless inspection on your hands.

Look at the Roof Ahead of Time

When’s the last time you climbed up on your roof and looked around? Most home sellers haven’t seen the top of their home in a long while. However, the health of your roof will be a big part of the home inspection.

It’s a good idea to get ahead of any potential problems by climbing up there and taking a look around by yourself first. This way, if you do discover any potential problems, you’ll be able to get them resolved before the home inspection even occurs.

Make sure debris is clear from your gutters and that there are no broken or missing tiles up there. A proper and clean presentation will go a long way.

Make Sure The Utilities Are On

A big part of an inspector’s time at the home will be spent ensuring all the appliances and utilities are functioning properly. They need to test the air conditioning, ensure the electrical circuits are grounded and do a number of other tasks.

If you’ve left the home and turned the utilities off, it means the inspector won’t be able to properly do their job. There is a strong chance that they’ll have to cancel and reschedule their inspection, which means you’ll have a grumpy inspector on your hands.

Do your best to set them up for success and ensure your utilities are on before an inspection occurs.