How To Prepare For a Home Inspection – Okay, it’s that time! Are you ready? So far, you have done all the right things. You interviewed agents to sell your home, you picked the best fit, and you put your home on the market. Your agent did all the right things, and you got a great offer and accepted it! Great news. Now what? I am going to tell you all the little things that come up so hopefully you can pass your home inspection with flying colors.
Now comes your inspections – in our area you need to prepare for your home inspection and possibly a termite inspection. I have brokered more than 500 transactions, and here are my top ten tips for how to prepare for a home inspection:
1. Clean your home – Just as if you were having an open house, you want your home to appear clean and livable. The home inspector won’t care if it is dirty, but the buyers will probably be there and will want reaffirmation that this is the home for them. A clean home might influence a home inspector not to beat up your home too badly either. Be sure your animals are secure or off of the property for your inspection too.
2. Remove Clutter – Along the lines of cleaning your home, be sure to provide free and easy access to the house. Make sure keys are left for locks, or everything is unlocked, and all areas are easy for the inspector to gain access to an inspector that has to return is not a happy inspector.
3. Leave your home – there is nothing worse than a seller who follows an inspector from room to room and doesn’t give the inspector freedom to do his job, or worse, provides a comment or explanation for everything in the home.
4. Water – Water is our most valuable resource, but water in our homes can also cause the most damage. Be sure you do what you can before the inspection. Look under each sink. Are there any signs of a leak? Touch the pipes. Any moisture? Any stains on the cabinets beneath the sinks? These are simple checks that you can do before an inspection, and get a plumber or handyman to repair before the inspection so it is easier to pass. Check all the hose bibs outside. Any leaks? Are the faucets dripping inside? Also all easy fixes with a plumber. Does the toilet leak or is wobbly? This is another item that comes up frequently and is an easy fix.
5. Electrical – This is another important area that is easy to remedy before any inspection. What tends to happen in our area, with 50+ year old homes, is that electrical adds or changes have happened over time. Were those changes done to the code? Or did a handyman just kind of put together a
Rube Goldberg type of solution that isn’t pretty, but works? Bad electrical is one of the scariest things for a buyer to look at on an inspection report. They don’t understand it, and they think it will It’s best to clean up bad electrical before the home being put on the market
cause a fire. If you have open wiring (especially in a garage) – get it in hard conduit so it is protected. If you have any open junction boxes (J-boxes) in the attic, get them covered up. If you have changed receptacles to a newer style, be sure you have maintained a grounded outlet. These three items come up over, and over, and over again on all of my inspections. Do you have GFCI outlets in the baths kitchens and garage? The code for when these homes were built did not require it, but current safety codes require it in these spaces. These are super easy for an electrician to swap out, and always hit most inspection reports.
6. Don’t hide it! – Most inspectors are good at what they do, and they will find the little things that might not be working. It is easier just to admit what is not working. If a dishwasher isn’t working, for example, put a sticky note on it saying “This will be fixed”. It will reassure the buyer that you are committed to the process and are being honest about items that need to be addressed.
7. You Can Leave the Lights On – Don’t be afraid to turn on all the lights before you leave. The inspector is going to do it anyway. It won’t cost that much for a couple of hours either. Just be sure to get all the burned-out bulbs replaced, and if a light is not working, call an electrician ahead of time to figure out what’s up. It will only hit your inspection report if you don’t.
8. Hot and Cold – One of the other items that comes up again and again is dirty air filters. Changing the hair filter is easy and cheap, it generally only costs about $10-$15 bucks at your local Home Depot, and it gives the appearance you are taking good care of your home. Also, be sure to clear any debris away from your condenser should you have an air conditioning unit in your home.
9. Termite – Termites are an unfortunate reality of where we live, but it is easy to prepare for them. This is what dry wood termite pellets look like, and are a sign of termite activity. Look at the exterior of your home. Do you see any holes or soft-looking spots in wood on the exterior? Look in the garage or interior spaces. Do you see any small piles that look like mini pellets in the picture? A little secret for you – if you clean all that kind of thing away it will not appear as if there are any termites in the house. If there are areas outside that need attention, take care of them. It is usually easier to pay a handyman than a termite guy to repair woodwork.
10. Outside – There are a hundred items outside – try to make sure everything is trimmed, neat, and away from the house. Be sure no areas are touching the home that have built up dirt, and be sure there isn’t major erosion from water. Also, be sure that the paint has been amended, and that there are no issues with siding or broken stucco.
That’s my top 10 list- hope it helped!!
If all that scares you, it is easier to get a pre-inspection report so you can get a report on what might be coming your way. Need inspectors? I would be happy to give you a list of three inspectors who all do a good job. Call me or email me for info.
Good luck!!! Colin Delaney has been selling homes in his hometown of Costa Mesa for more than 15 years and loves working in Costa Mesa. He can be reached at
(714) 743-9882 by call/text or via
email.
