Getting a home inspection carried out on your home that you’re trying to sell doesn’t always fill you up with excitement, but failing to prep your home for the inspection could lead to a delay in the sale. Besides, the last thing a seller needs is for a home inspector to accidentally break a fixture or cause damage to a wall because the home was not adequately prepared for an inspection.

A home inspection is usually the final hurdle before you can stick a ’SOLD’ sign in the lawn of the front yard, so it’s essential to put your best foot forward and get your home ready to be looked at closely. To help you do so, Elementary Property Inspections has formulated a Beginner’s Guide to preparing for a home inspection. By following this guide, as a home seller, you will be able to prepare your home for a home inspector to properly inspect the property, and not have to return for a follow up because of an inability to access some areas for inspection.

Getting Started

What tools do I need?: No tools are necessary to be prepared for a home inspection. All you need to do is be ready to clean and move personal property out of the way.

How can I benefit from the inspection?: Home inspections allow a buyer to ensure that all of the systems of the home, plumbing, electrical, structure, roof, etc., are working correctly, and if not, as the owner, you will know what areas need to be addressed so that you don’t have to renegotiate the price. The home inspector will offer recommendations on how to correct any issue found.

Clean the house: This sounds so simple, yet homeowners often overlook this tactic. Home inspectors are people first and inspectors second. As people, they carry preconceived ideas of how well a home has been maintained. Clean homes say you care and take care of the house. It’s a great idea to make a good impression. Don’t make the mistake of thinking they can see past stuff; they can’t!

Next Steps

Be on time: Be ready for the inspection at the allocated time, because the inspector certainly will be, and if you’ve slept in, the inspector will still need to get in the home to inspect.

Provide access: An inspector needs to analyze all the systems of the home. You know where the access panels are and the inspector may not. Ensure you provide access to electrical panels, plumbing, water heaters, furnace, and attics. Also, when personal property is blocking access, it makes things take longer, or sometimes requires a follow-up appointment to get things inspected thoroughly.

Leave the utilities connected and pilot lights on: This allows for a thorough inspection and the ability to inspect all electrical, plumbing, heating and appliances. Failure to do so may cause an additional inspection, further delaying the home purchase agreement.

Advice From The Pros

Don’t hide anything: If there’s an issue, it will be found. When a seller tries to mask underlying problems deliberately, it leads to a lack of trust and creates greater suspicion on other aspects of the home. Be up front, declare all known issues, as there is typically a solution to address any problems.

Keep away from your home during the inspection: Most inspections take three hours or longer. So during the inspection, be prepared to be away for at least three hours. Often the buyer will accompany the home inspector, and buyers feel uncomfortable asking questions if the owner is present. Try to schedule a time for the inspection when you can be out of the house, and take the children with you. Crate your pets if you cannot remove them from the premises.

Inspections are meant to offer solutions not criticism: Home inspections are intended to aid the buyer in understanding their new purchase, and what issues need to be addressed. This is not meant to be a negative for a seller. In fact, most problems are minor, and while some significant issues may be found, a good home inspector will offer solutions to help the purchase move forward.

At Elementary Property Inspections, our goal is to help you get a top of the line home inspection. As the best home inspectors in Niagara, we also offer Niagara asbestos testing, black mold and air quality testing in Niagara, St. Catharines, Welland, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Fonthill, Grimsby, and Stoney Creek. Our home inspections are intended to educate by giving you an understanding of the property and an overview of how the systems work, and how they should be maintained throughout the change of seasons and over the years.

Visit our website to learn more or contact Elementary Property Inspections today.