How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

How to Prepare for Home Inspection

No home is perfect. Anything from major damage to minor maintenance issues are often found. Even new homes are not immune - they could have problems with the plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling system, or the roofing system just to name a few.

For homeowners, it's important to be aware of any issues your home may have prior to putting it on the market. Getting a pre-listing home inspection will ensure that you're aware of any problems and can take care of them on your terms - or present them as-is and adjust your selling price proportionally. The alternative leaves you open to costly surprises and delays, and even potential deal-breakers once you've entered negotiations with the buyer.

For buyers, an inspection is vital to uncovering issues a home may have but are invisible to the untrained eye. Even if the inspection finds more problems than you're comfortable with and you move on to a different home to start the process all over again, it's money well spent. An inspection will give you the opportunity to ask the seller to make the repairs before you buy.  It is a good way to protect yourself from ending up with a home that requires repairs that you are unable or unwilling to pay for.

Before the inspector arrives, there are a few things you should know. There are no federal regulations governing inspectors.  The laws are going to differ state by state.  Therefore it's important to interview your inspector or inspection company prior to hiring them.  Since each state is going to have their own standards of certification for inspectors- credibility is a big issue in choosing the right inspector.  Ask what certifications your inspector holds and what associations he or she belongs to.  Be certain that your inspector is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), which is the oldest, largest and most recognized association for for professional home inspectors. ASHI members must meet the highest standards and requirements in the industry, including annual educational coursework, a strict code of ethics and home inspections that meet ASHI's high performance standards.  There are also several state-level associations that your inspector may be a member of.  Ask your inspector and then visit the state ASHI chapter website.

Once your inspector has arrived, it is recommended that you accompany him or her on the inspection of the property.  This is so you can become familiar with the home and its systems as well as exactly what repairs the inspector recommends and why.  You might also want to prepare a list of items that you've seen in the home that you feel are cause for concern as well as any questions you may have.  The inspection is a great time to find out where the home's water and gas shutoffs are and where the fuse box is.

Here are some other suggestions for homeowners:

• Accessibility: Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially to the attic and crawl space.  It's also a good idea to trim any trees and shrubs that may make an inspection of the exterior of the property difficult.
• Housekeeping: The inspector may photograph your home for the inspection report, so clearing the clutter and moving vehicles from the front of the home will help the inspection go smoother.
• Maintenance: Repair minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

This information supplied courtesy of MetroSpec Services, LLC http://www.metrospec.com/

704-545-9966

If you are interested in selling your home and live in the Charlotte area please contact me for a FREE Evaluation to ready your home for sale. 704-724-4441 or curly@cbunited.com.

If you live outside the Charlotte area, please contact me and I will put you in touch with the best REALTOR in your area; this is a FREE service.  704-724-4441 or curly@cbunited.com.

If you would like a FREE list of homes for sale in the Charlotte area including all surrounding counties in North Carolina and South Carolina and want to be the FIRST to know when new listings come on the market or if you would like more information about the Charlotte area please call me 704-724-4441 or e-mail me curly@cbunited.com.

I cover the following areas and NC Counties: Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Iredell, The Lake Norman Area, Lincoln, Gaston, Rowan, Stanly, Anson, Catawba, Montgomery, Mountain Island lake, Downtown Charlotte, and the following SC areas and Counties Lake Wylie Area, York, Lancaster, Chester.

Michael "CURLY" Curl, Broker, REALTOR®

Coldwell Banker, UNITED Realtors®

704-724-4441

http://www.curlysellshomes.com/

curly@cbunited.com