A visit from the home inspector can be nerve-wracking for a seller, especially in a market like this, when the potential buyer isn't afraid to demand that a long list of problems be addressed before the sale is finalized.

No matter how much you do to prepare the home, brace yourself. 

"The first thing for people to realize when selling their house is the inspector is always going to find something wrong," said David Tamny, owner of Professional Property Inspection in Columbus, Ohio.

Often, problems are minor and inexpensive enough for the seller to either fix or allow a credit for in the home price, he said. It's the discovery of major deficiencies — or an unwillingness to negotiate — that can kill a deal, Tamny said.

Still, it's in a seller's best interest to have the home as ready as possible before the inspection. It can cost more to address a problem — by lowering the sale price — once it turns up in an inspection, said Dan Steward, president of Pillar to Post, a home-inspection company.

"For every real dollar of cost, the buyer thinks it's $2 or $3 more," he said.

The thorough way to prepare is to do your own inspection before you list the home on the market. A pre-listing inspection will tell you exactly what needs to be fixed before you begin your search for a buyer.