We would like to offer a few suggestions for listing agents on making the inspection go more smoothly.  These are things you can relay to the seller, or, if the seller has already moved on, take care of yourself.  Some of them are minor things, but left undone, indicate to the inspector and the buyer that things have been neglected.

1. Charge the Light Brigade - Get the seller to make sure the fixtures have working bulbs.  It's a good idea to check out the bulb situation a day or two ahead of the home inspection and replace any that are burned out.  That way there's no question that the circuit is working and the house doesn't seem as neglected.  It's really bad when you have multiple lights in a fixture such as in a dining room or over a bathroom vanity and none of them come on.  And don't forget to check the exterior and garage lights.

2. Make sure access is adequate for a good inspection.  The inspector will require access to the attic, crawlspace, electric panel, furnace or other heating appliance, and the water heater.  If those places are not accessible, it makes it harder for everyone.  Many inspectors and buyers will ask for separate inspections of things they weren't able to see the first time, and generally it is an additional expense to someone. 

3. One thing commonly overlooked is access to reset the GFCI circuits, which can be tripped numerous times in the course of a home inspection.  We have encountered quite a few houses where the reset is located on an outlet behind a wall of boxes or other stored items, usually in a garage. 

4. Please take care of Fido and Fluffy.  As inspectors we do our best not to let pets out unless we've told that's OK, but in the course of an inspection, we go through the doors many times as does the buyer, the buyer's agent, and sometimes a whole army of the buyer's friends and family who have been told that this is their opportunity to see the new house.  It's hard to keep track of everything and everyone, and no one likes chasing a strange animal around the neighborhood.  Also, some animals don't handle the stress of strangers in the house very well.  It's best to remove pets or put them in kennels while the inspection is happening.  And while you know Bruno is 200 lbs of pure teddy bear, no one else does, so his presence may hinder the inspection process.

We hope this helps.  We would welcome any feedback on this or other inspection topics.