Home Inspections

There is a sales contract on your home and now you are working on getting ready for the home inspection. But how should you get ready for the inspection? Here are a few tips that may help.

The home inspection is a vital part of the real estate transaction process. The objective of the home inspection is to give the buyers detailed information about the condition of the structure and the systems of the house they are thinking about buying. The home inspection is a routine and anticipated piece of the transaction.

A. Make all areas of the house accessible so the home inspector can inspect them. Remove clutter, debris and storage that covers any part of the homes structure or systems. Remove all storage and clutter from the garage interior so the garage can be properly inspected. The two areas that are the most important and should be clutter free are the basement and the attic.

B. Removing storage can help to put the buyers at ease during the inspection process. If there is no storage then you are not likely to be covering something up. Having the home clutter free will also make the inspectors job easier and you may avoid having the inspector come out again to look at an area that he or she could not see. A home that is clutter free always inspects better and more smoothly then a house that is full of storage.

C. If the inspector does his job he or she is going to unearth some issues in the home, don't take it too heart. A good home inspector will always find issues if he or she is thorough. Don't take it personally, you are in good company all houses have some problems. Try to be at ease and relax, the home inspector is just doing the job for the client.

D. It would be a good idea for you to leave the house when it is being inspected. Its human nature to get defensive especially about your own home. Take the stress out of the process and go out somewhere. Let the realtors stay for the home inspection. Take yourself out of the situation. The realtors can call you when the inspection is over and give you a brief overview.

E. Make repairs before the inspection. This will take that particular issue off the list and may make negotiations easier. The fewer issues that come up the better you are going to be and the quicker you are going to finalize the transaction. Try to do this for all of the problems that you are aware off. The fewer overall concerns the more comfortable the buyers will be about the house. If there is a long list of concerns the buyer may feel overwhelmed and feel as though the home was not properly maintained.

F. Be truthful on all disclosure statements. In some states the disclosure is optional. Other states have a mandatory disclosure rule. If you are providing a sellers disclosure make sure that it is an accurate representation of the conditions that exist in the home. A competent inspector will be able to determine the age of the furnace, boiler, water heater, roof and the other equipment in the home. The more accurate the information you provide the better the buyers will feel about you and the home that they are buying.

G. There are a lot of sellers that try to cover up basement water issues. It is all but impossible to hide all evidence of water leakage and infiltration. If water leakage in the basement is a problem it is going to come out at the inspection. Its just not worth harming your reputation with your buyer.

H. Work with the buyer to repair the major problems they want to be addressed. Negotiation is acceptable but be open to fixing the problems. If you are willing to be flexible, the purchaser will be more at ease and may not push to have you fix everything on their list