So, you have finally sold your home, scheduled your home inspection, but you don’t know where to start or how to prepare. That’s where we can help you! We know that you have a lot of questions from unplugging the utilities to whether you should clean up the house, so to help with your upcoming appointment, we have made a list for you to follow for the next few days. This can also help if you just recently purchased your house and you are in the process of getting a home inspection as well!
- Clean Up the House: While the inspector isn’t looking for the perfect model home, they’re still a guest. You want it to look presentable, but you don’t have to hide your life away. Leave the dog bed where you normally keep it as well as the kid’s toy bin. The inspector will be able to see how much you care about your home as well as being able to see the most lived in areas of the house.
- Stay On Schedule: Make sure everything is ready before the inspector gets there, including yourselves. It’s very common for an inspector to start with the outside of the house so pay attention to the time if there’s a stranger walking around your property.
- Leave the Utilities Connected: If you have the opportunity to move before selling your current home, don’t turn off the utilities immediately. The inspector will need to check things like the stove, furnace, dishwasher, etc. If they’re unable to be checked, the home inspection will be rescheduled to a later date which could affect the timeline for selling the house. This included keeping the pilot light ignited on the furnace.
- Leave Space: It’s not uncommon to safely utilize the space around the furnace and water heater or even in front of the doors. For the inspection, you’ll need to clear out at least four feet of space around the units so everything can be accessed easily.
- Provide Access: Areas like the attic, basement, and even the garage might be blocked off from the main house. Whether you regularly use the space or not, the inspector will still need to check it out to verify there’s nothing wrong with the area.
- Provide Documentation: If you’ve recently had work done to the house, new appliances installed, etc., the inspector might ask to see the documentation. They will still need to be inspected as a precaution, but having that documentation will help with the sale of the house.
- Be Prepared to Leave If Needed: A full home inspection can easily take three hours. Sometimes buyers, especially if they request the inspection, will accompany the inspectors to see what’s going on with the house. You can leave the premises and let them do their inspection.
