Are You Ready For That Home Inspection

Sellers are always nervous about the home inspection. What if the inspector finds something bad and what will it cost to fix and will it kill the deal. Relax, your realtor is a professional and they can help you work through any obstacles. Sellers can speed their home inspection by following these suggestions. The inspection will go smoother, with fewer concerns to delay closing.

1. If you are not living in the home. Make sure that water, electric and gas service are on, with gas pilot lights burning.
2. Ensure pets won't hinder the inspection. Ideally, they should be removed from premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.
3. Replace burned out bulbs to avoid a "Light is inoperable" report that may suggest an electrical problem.
4. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace dead batteries.
5. Clean or replace dirty HVAC air filters. They should fit securely.
6. Remove stored items, debris and wood from crawl space. These may be cited as "conducive conditions" for termites.
7. Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electric service panels, water heaters, attics and crawl spaces.
8. Unlock areas the inspector must access - attic doors or hatches, electric service panels, closets, fence gates and crawl spaces.
9. Trim tree limbs to 10' from the roof and shrubs from the house to allow access.
10. Fix or repair broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches; windowpanes, screens and locks; gutters, downspouts and chimney caps.
11. Check to make sure that there are no plumbing leaks or electrical hazards
12. Finally, If there are problems that you know about, let your agent know and it may be less expensive to have these items repaired before the inspection. You would have time to shop around to get the best repair price. If you wait until the inspection, a good inspector will likely find the problem and it is likely to cost more for a rush repair job before closing.

Checking these areas before your home inspection is an investment in selling your property. Your real estate agent will thank you!

David DiRienzo

HouseProbe Inspections LLC

http://www.HouseProbe.com http://www.HouseProbeInspections.com