Prepare For Your Home Inspection

By
Real Estate Agent with Metuchen Keller Williams Elite Realty / Middlesex County, NJ

Few things can derail your plans to sell your  home like failing a home inspection. 

To prepare for your home inspection, you'll want to thoroughly clean your home.  It's also a good idea to examine all the appliances to make sure they're in good working condition.

 

Home inspection in New Brunswick Homes New JerseyWhat Will the Inspector Do?
You may be surprised to learn that the inspector will turn on the stove and test the dishwasher and garbage disposal.  They'll make sure the furnace and air conditioning systems work.  You'll want to clear out the area around the furnace and hot water heater because the inspector will need a few feet of space to work in.

If you plan to leave the  home before selling it, be sure to leave the pilot lights lit for the inspection.  Some inspectors will not re-light pilot lights because of insurance regulations.  This can delay the completion of the inspection and cause the loan process to take longer.

The inspector will test the water pressure by flushing the toilets and turning on all the faucets.  This process can reveal leaks or clogs in the system.

It will be easier for the inspector if you aren't in the house at the time.  Try to arrange to be out of the house for the inspection, and take your pets with you.  Pets can be an unnecessary distraction to the inspector.

What's Next?
Hopefully your New Jersey home passed inspection with no problem. 

A very good idea is to get your home pre-inspected, meaning get an inspection prior listing it. That way you know if anything major needs to be fixed and you have much more time to act on it. Also it gives you the opportunity to work on the minor things at your pace. A bad inspection result can be a deal breaker, so why wait the last moment?

Also being able to market and advertize your home as already pre-inspected will provide potential buyers with a greater level of comfort. First time home buyers being the majority of buyers out there, that extra level of comfort might be the incentive that bring an offer on the table. 

Posted by
Catherine "Cathy" Chaudemanche Team, ABR, SRS, SRES
Local Realtor Associate - Agent Leadership Council
New Jersey Association of Realtors Circle of Excellence Sales Award - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
 
Keller Williams Elite Realty 
Cell: 732-616-6700 (preferred)
O: 732-549-1998  EXT 142
Fax: 732-626-7270
 
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Comments (2)

Dan Hopper
Dan Hopper - Gold Way RE - Westminster, CO
Denver Broker / Real Estate Advocate

Happy Monday,   , very short and concise in preparations for the Seller in what to expect.  If advertising that this property has been pre-inspected ..... be prepared to share that inspection report!!

May 06, 2019 09:17 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Catherine, it is nice to document for the Seller what items will be checked on a home inspection, so they can do their own inspection prior to listing.

May 13, 2019 12:19 PM