Creating a Powerful Business

Since the successful sale of your house rests on whether it passes the home inspection, you'll want to prepare for the inspection so your home is shown in the best light. If you've already fixed most issues so your home would show well on tours and open houses, then you may not have much to do to get prepared for the inspection.

However, an inspection is much more intense than a home tour, and the potential buyer can attend the inspection if they want to, so the buyer has a chance to get a close look at your house. Here are three ways to prepare your home for inspection.

1. Deep Clean It Thoroughly

You've probably kept your house clean while it was on the market, but cleaning it for an inspection entails cleaning things like the furnace, water heater, basement, or crawlspace that you might not clean very often. If the buyer and inspector see a furnace and filter that's coated in dust, they may suspect the equipment wasn't cared for properly. Removing dust and getting your home clean and decluttered makes your home and the things in it look well cared for.

2. Make Sure Everything Works

A burned-out light bulb could get a negative mark on the report since the inspector will check that each outlet and switch is working. They may not question why it isn't working and mark a switch as bad even if a light is only burned out.

Be sure your electrical outlets all work and all the faucets and toilets drain quickly and don't leak. Problems found with the electrical system, plumbing, HVAC, foundation, or roof could be enough to cause the buyer to back out of the sale.

A few problems may not matter since a home inspection isn't a pass-or-fail situation. Instead, it just identifies possible issues that may need to be negotiated before the sale can complete. However, if too many repairs are needed, the buyer may decide to pass on the house.

3. Make Your Property Accessible

A home inspection evaluates areas that are accessible. The inspector may not check a well or septic system. They probably won't check for radon or pests. However, they might look for signs of pest damage that show pests were present at one time, such as gnaw marks and insect damage.

You'll want to clear clutter out of the way and make the inside and outside of your home easily accessible to the inspector. If an area is inaccessible due to overgrowth or clutter, it may look like you're trying to hide damage. For more information on a home inspection, contact a professional near you.