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MY HOME IS UNDER CONTRACT ~ PREPARING FOR THE INSPECTION

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Beam & Branch Realty TREC #547752

MY HOME IS UNDER CONTRACT ~ PREPARING FOR THE INSPECTION

Inspection

The good news is that your home is under contract!  Hopefully before you placed your home on the market you took care of any items that needed cleaning out or repaired.  However, it is impossible to know everything that an Inspector might find.  There are a few tips that you can do to prepare however, for the day the inspection is happening.

 

  • Plan to be out of the house during the inspection.  Take pets with you if possible so that all areas of the home and yard are accessible.

 

  • A clean home is preferred.  Just tidy up and have it looking nice.  Remember, the new buyers may be there so make sure it is presentable.

 

  • Make sure that attic and other access points are actually accessible.  If you need to remove some things, do this prior to an inspection.  It is important for the Inspector to be able to easily access the necessary spaces.

 

  • Trim those hedges and shrubs that might be too close to the foundation.  The Inspector needs to be able to see the actual foundation along the outside of the home.  Additionally, if mulch beds are too high against the house, thin that out as well.

 

  • The cabinet under the kitchen sink needs to be cleaned out somewhat.  Discard items you don't need and have it tidy.

 

  • Make sure the garage is accessible.  If you use it as a storage area, make sure the Inspector can get to the garage doors to test them, etc.

 

  • If any areas are locked that the Inspector will need to access, make sure and leave those places unlocked.

No need to fret over your inspection, just having the home accessible, pets gone and leaving a clean home are important.  Once the inspection is over, you are hopefully one step closer to a closing.  Expect to receive a call from your agent discussing the items that the buyers could be asking to have repaired.

Home inspections are an important part of the selling process.  Doing a little to be prepared can help ease your anxiety and will make for a happy inspector!  Best of luck!

 

 

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Comments(14)

Edward Gilmartin
CRE - Boston, MA

Good advice...some unscrupulous agents tell the seller to open all the basement windows the day before to throw off any radon test.

Mar 26, 2013 10:37 PM
Tracy Oliva
West USA Realty - Arizona - Fountain Hills, AZ
The Oliva Team Arizona Agents

Paula:   This is some great Info for all in the business,  keep up the good work and good luck with your business in 2013,  E

Mar 26, 2013 10:39 PM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Edward, that would not be a good thing at all.  We don't have basements here but that would not be advisable for an agent to tell a seller.

Ed, you have a great day!  Thanks for the visit to my blog!

Mar 26, 2013 10:50 PM
Deelyn Neilson
Liz Moore and Associates - Williamsburg, VA
Deelyn Neilson

That is a great checklist! Prepping for the home inspection is something that most sellers don't even think about- until they are faced with a laundry list of 'to-do' items or, God forbid, a buyer that gets cold feet after seeing a long list of items. Great post!

Mar 26, 2013 10:55 PM
Vince Chinell
VICO Home Inspection - Branson, MO
CPI

Paula,  excellent information for all sellers. Your blog would make a great handout.  Have a great day.

Mar 26, 2013 11:00 PM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Thanks Deelyn and Vince.  Just one of the things that can help keep a closing be successful.

Mar 26, 2013 11:04 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Paula- this is a checklist every agent can give their sellers!  You don't think of "staging" a house for the inspection.

Featured in Bananatude

Mar 26, 2013 11:08 PM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Thank you Kathy!  Every little detail is important.  It ain't sold until that money is in the bank.  Make sure you are showing your home in its best light always.  Even during an inspection.

Mar 26, 2013 11:18 PM
Mark Horan
Resident Team Realty, LLC & Toni's Property Management LLC - Saint Cloud, FL
"The Resident Chef" - Resident Team Realty LLC &

Paula, Great tips! I should have my seller read this for his inspection today.

Mar 26, 2013 11:47 PM
Eric Crane -- Your Full Service, Discount Fee Realtor®
DPR Realty LLC - Gilbert, AZ
Greater Metro Phoenix Arizona

Hi, Paula -- some good tips here.  Hope you will have a wonderful Holiday weekend!  Eric

Mar 27, 2013 12:54 AM
Cherise Selley
Selley Group Real Estate, LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Realtor

Paula,

I like your preparatory list to sustain the utmost quality of the home until closed... g

Mar 27, 2013 07:26 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Great list Paula...every seller needs to think about being 'really' ready for the inspection. It is THAT important!  We just had one where the seller could have cared less about how the home looked....and we were a bit shocked.  Probably lost about 5K in value just for the way it showed - and bad condition which could have easily been fixed.

Mar 27, 2013 09:43 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Thanks everyone.  Just wrote this and experienced an inspection where the Sellers forgot about the padlock they had put on the breaker box.  Yikes.  Thankfully they were able to be reached and got it off in time to complete the inspection.  Whew!

Mar 27, 2013 09:59 PM
Fred Hernden, CMI
Superior Home Inspections - Greater Albuquerque Area - Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque area Master Inspector

Good tips Paula! The three things I normally run into are 1. access to the electrical panel, 2. access to the water heater, and 3. access to the attic. We are not allowed to move things to dig ourselves in, so it is benficial to everybody to make these things accessible. Good post!

Mar 27, 2013 11:32 PM