How To Prepare for a Home Inspection
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How to prepare for a home inspection is the first question in the mind of home sellers when they receive a letter from a home inspector for a visit.
There is a list of things home inspectors look for and if you are wondering how to pass a home inspection this post is just what you need.
While a buyer may request a home inspection, sometimes mortgage lenders may ask the home buying party to carry out a home inspection as part of a home appraisal.
What to Expect at a Home Inspection?
Getting a home inspection in DFW involved scrutiny of your property in terms of checking the appliances, the plumbing, and the infrastructure. Therefore, you must know what do house inspectors look for so you can pre-identify any pending issues and have them fixed prior to the home inspection date.
What Do Home Inspectors Look For?
Here is a checklist for what a home inspector will be looking for. This will help you on how to prepare a house for inspection.
The Roof and Attic
- Any signs of damaged or missing shingles
- Excess wear and tear
- The structure and layers of roofing
- Adequate drainage and gutter joints
- Signs of leakage in the attic.
- Poor ventilation in the attic and rotten wood
Home’s Exterior
- Type and shape of siding on the home’s external structure, what is underneath it.
- Any broken or rotten window frames
- Unsealed sections.
- Ensuring that the house appears straight and has a solid foundation
Plumbing System
- Is there adequate water pressure from all plumbing fixtures
- Inspection of all the pipes and floors and identify any water damage or leakage issues
- Estimating the age and current quality of the material used in the entire plumbing system of the house.
- In case you have a well system, a home inspector may order a lab test to check the quality of water.
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning System
- Inspection of all airflows throughout the house and ensuring that it works adequately
- Any signs of asbestos
- Recording the cleaning/repair and maintenance history plus noticing the age of each piece of equipment.
Electrical System
- Any signs of wear and tear on wiring are one of the top things home inspectors look for
- Checking if all electrical fixtures and services are working as properly
- Checking if all electrical components are as per the standards or require any updates
How To Prepare for a Home Inspection: The Checklist
If you have received a notice for a home inspection, here is a checklist on how to prepare the house for inspection.
Now that you know what do they look for during a home inspection, this is fairly straightforward.
Checklist of Things to Do Before Home Inspection
A good inspector will look for:
- Cleaning furnace filters
- Clean your oven and stove
- Empty the attic
- Organize access points to your attic
- Clear up to 6 inches of space around your home’s external parameter
- Check all windows for any damage and make sure their locks are working
- Run all faucets and ensure that all toilets are flushing properly.
- Check all bathroom and ceiling fans are in proper working order.
- Make sure all lights are working properly.
- Make sure that the garage door is working properly both manually and via remote control.
- Ensure that the downspout is carrying water away from the property
- Check the connections of heating ducts in the crawl space
- Fan ducts are working adequately and venting out the air.
- Replace all smoke detector batteries
- Test your carbon monoxide detector
- A fire extinguisher should be available
- Cap all gas lines and chimney’s entry points (if you have a chimney)
- Exterminate any issues pertaining to rodent or bugs infestation.
Repair and Maintenance Tasks
- Replace all the electric bulbs
- Re-caulk all sinks and bathtubs
- Remove any drain clogs
- Repairing any water damage in your bathroom
- Replace and repair any cracked windows
- Repair missing roofing shingles.
- Update the dingy grout
- Fix the damaged insulation in your attic and/or crawl space.
- You must cover the crawl space with at least a 6 mm plastic sheet.
- Sweep any debris off the roof and trim the trees
- Look for any structural issues
- Clean your gutters and clean all debris from and around the AC compressor, foundation vents, and downspout drainage.
Getting a Home Inspection: What to Do?
If you wish your home to appear in its best shape to the home inspector then a little effort will go long way.
Here are some tips that will help you enhance your home’s looks on the day of inspection.
- You must always maintain your house in a showing condition
- Vacate the property as no family member must stay in the house during the home inspection
- Open up all spaces for easy access
- Remove any obstructions especially to the above-mentioned areas of interest for the home inspectors.
- You must ensure that all light bulbs, as well as batteries, are working. It is always a good idea to keep spare batteries in stock.
- Change all air filters on your AC and/or HVAC system for adequate heating and cooling.
- Empty your laundry machine and dishwasher
- Either crate your pets or remove them from the property during the inspection.
- Make sure to switch on all utilities and that they are working as they should
- Make sure that the water heater is working properly.
- Take a look around and if you spot any part of the home in need of an obvious repair, have it fixed.
Do Buyers Come to Home Inspection?
Well, most of the time yes, a buyer with his real estate agent might attend the inspection.
This is important because they would want to check the house thoroughly before they buy. At the end of the day, they will be living in that house.
Should I Be Present for Home Inspection?
You should be there to welcome the buyer (most likely attend the home inspection) as well as the home inspector at the time of inspection. However, should you be present for a home inspection with the buyer and inspection? The best is not to.
It is a good etiquette that you (a seller) and the listing agent steer clear of the home premise during the entire inspection activity.
This is important because your presence may prevent an open dialogue between the buyer and the home inspector. They will be uncomfortable voicing their opinion on certain shortcomings in front of you. Therefore, give them some personal space to create a home inspection report.
While you should be present for the home inspection, the buyer and inspector will open and close the inspection activity whenever they want.
You can always contact a home inspection expert in Dallas for free home inspection advice. This will help you with preparing for a home inspection more efficiently.
