On Real Estate & More – July 2018

Making the decision to sell your home is often the easy part. What can be more challenging is getting your home ready to sell, and a big part of that is being prepared for a home inspection. A home inspection is a big factor in getting your sale to go through, so that’s why some sellers decide to complete a pre-inspection before potential buyers even walk through the door.

Is it worth getting a pre-inspection? In most cases, yes. A pre-inspection gives you a heads-up on what a buyer will likely discover and to help identify what items to repair and update. You may decide not to do needed repairs, but your selling price will likely need to reflect that.

Doing a pre-inspection might even make a buyer feel confident enough to go ahead and submit an offer. Even if a potential buyer decides to conduct their own inspection, your initiative will help convey that you’ve cared for your home.

Having a thorough inspection of your home also keeps you from being blindsided by a major problem in a buyer’s inspection. It allows you to know when to stand firm on price and when you might need to give a bit. For example, if you know your home will need a new roof in a few years but have chosen not to replace it, you may need to give a little on price.

Here is a checklist of items that can be done to help prepare for a home inspection. If there’s anything on the list that’s above your comfort level or expertise, consider hiring a licensed contractor to complete the repairs.

  1. Clean and declutter inspection access points: Clean furnace filter, clean stove and oven, organize any closets that are access points to your attic or crawl space, clear at least 4 to 6 inches of space around the perimeter of your home’s exterior.
  2. Test functionality of the items an inspector should check: Open and close windows and test locks and seals, flush all toilets and run all faucets, run ceiling and bathroom fans, try all light switches and electrical outlets, open and close garage doors manually and with the remote, then test the reverse safety setting, confirm weather stripping on doors is intact, ensure that downspouts are properly diverting water away, check to make sure heating ducts are connected in crawl space, check that fan ducts are properly venting out of the attic.
  3. Take basic safety and security precautions: Replace batteries in smoke detectors, test carbon monoxide detector, exterminate bugs or rodents.
  4. Make necessary repairs to the property: Replace light bulbs, re-caulk around bathtubs and sinks, repair any water damage in bathrooms, remove any drain clogs, update any dingy grout, replace torn screens and cracked windows, replace any missing roofing and old or damaged roof penetrations, replace damaged insulation in attic and crawl space, cover crawl space with plastic sheeting.
  5. Complete exterior home improvements: Clean debris and moss off the roof, trim trees that are near or hanging over the roof line, clean out gutters, clear debris from around the A/C compressor, downspout drainage, and foundation vents, slope soil away from the home for water runoff, leave paperwork for any maintenance, repairs, or insurance claims.