Prepare For An Inspection

Several times a week, I enter a stranger’s house to perform what has become an expected part of most real estate deals — a home inspection.

As an inspector, I thoroughly go over the house, concentrating on its working condition. Then I present a report to the buyer that describes the house and its systems and their components.

I usually work for buyers, who want to know that they’re spending their money wisely. But I believe that all interested parties want the inspection to go smoothly – I know I do!

Yet I find that, too often, that while a seller has made a house ready for a real estate agent to show, it’s not always ready to be inspected. There are a few minor repair and maintenance chores that sellers can do to reduce the number of reportable conditions that will show up on the report.

Here’s a checklist that can help your house inspect as well as it shows:

Seller’s Checklist

• Make sure all interior and exterior light fixtures work.
• Provide access to the furnace, water heater and electrical panel.
• Install a new HVAC filter.
• Ensure that windows operate smoothly, especially in bedrooms.
• Tighten all doorknobs and tighten or repair all handrails.
• Clear the way to the attic access panel or pull-down, especially in a closet.
• Be sure there is a minimum of one smoke detector and one carbon monoxide detector per floor and in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
• Remove window security screws, or unlock window security locks.
• Remove child-safety covers at electrical outlets.
• Provide keys or unlock garages, outbuildings and gates.
• Ensure all utility services are on.
• Remove stored items, debris and wood from the foundation. These may be cited as conditions conducive to wood destroying pests.
• Trim tree limbs within 10 feet of the roof and  shrubbery within 1 foot of the house to allow access.