So, your home is now listed for sale. Congratulations! Once a buyer places an offer and you accept, the real work begins; your buyer will be working their way down their checklist to take ownership in the near future. Besides applying for a mortgage, obtaining an appraisal and ordering a survey, as part of your buyer’s due diligence they will likely obtain the services of a home inspector, termite inspector, and possibly other environmental inspections such as mold, lead paint, or asbestos. As the seller, you may feel helpless during this period of time, hoping everything goes without a hitch. Well, as far as a home inspection goes, you actually can smooth the process and make it work in your favor.
Preparing for a Home Inspection
Keep Areas Clear
Home inspections involve visually inspecting and testing nearly all of the systems and components in your home. To do this, home inspectors need access to a number of areas that you may not have realized, and these areas may normally be blocked by furniture, furnishings, vehicles, and other things that home inspectors cannot or will not move. When something that needs to be inspected is not accessible, the home inspector notes this in the inspection report. And, buyers who want to know everything they can about the home will likely be disappointed if the information is not made available on the day of the inspection due to lack of access. For instance, attic and crawlspace hatches, electrical panel, HVAC equipment, water heater, electric outlets, and windows can be left untested and uninspected if there is no access. Furthermore, leaving clothes in washing machines, potted plants in bathtubs, and plastic storage containers in ovens all prevent these items from being evaluated. So, prior to the home inspection, you should make an effort to move stored items away from all of these areas so that the home inspector can do their job without hindrance. Remove and store the items that normally would fill your vanity cabinet so pipes are visible; remove wall hangings that are covering the electrical panel; and clear out the areas of the garage and attic where the home inspector will need to go to look at and operate the equipment.
Fragile Items
Another thing that you can do is move collectibles and fragile items away from areas where the home inspector will be going. For example, remove glassware from the top of window sashes and kitchen ranges. And, it makes sense to remove any valuables and tuck them into drawers or into closets.
Windows
Since home inspectors operate windows, it is important for you to raise all of your window blinds and tie back curtains and drapes. These items are not part of the home inspection but often get in the way when inspecting windows. And, some window blinds and shades are poorly mounted or have missing parts and will fall off when someone unfamiliar with your window furnishings attempts to open them.
Pets
Pets left in a home during a home inspection can be a problem. You should make provision for them to be off the premises. Besides getting underfoot, they can cause distraction or run away when a door is left open. It should not be up to the home inspector to keep track of your pets, and they are not responsible for their well-being.
Homebuyers
Often, your homebuyer will attend the home inspection and may want to bring along their family members, contractors or friends. This is a normal practice. However, if it makes you uncomfortable to have anyone else in your home during the inspection, be sure and inform your real estate agent to pass along your wishes to the buyers ahead of time.
Take a Moment for Yourself
Lastly, it is important that you consider leaving your home during the home inspection. While it is beneficial to share information with the home inspector at the beginning of the inspection about the location of inspection items like the crawlspace access and electrical panel, if you remain during the inspection it can hamper the home inspector from doing their job. And, if the sellers are present, they can feel uncomfortable about discussing things with you there.
Zack Lilienfeld, AtlantiCape Inspections, (609) 431-0202