Preparing the Home for an Inspection

At U.S. Inspect, our objective is to provide a high quality inspection and objectively communicate it to our client. As the seller, you can help facilitate this effort by doing the following:

Exterior

• Be prepared with any documentation or repair records for decks, additions, etc.
• All exterior doors should be accessible, home, garage, outbuildings.
• All door locks should be unlocked (provide a key) and operable.
• Remove debris from gutters/downspouts and trim shrubs away from the foundation

Interior

• All interior areas should be accessible.
• Crawl space access should be clear.
• Remove belongings away from walls of storage rooms.
• Make sure the stairs to the attic can be pulled down without damaging belongings or endangering people.

Garages

• Ensure the garage is unlocked and remove any stored items, cars, etc…
• There needs to be at least three feet of clearance from the walls for inspection.

Electrical

• The electrical panel(s) needs to be easily accessible.
• Ensure all GFCI reset outlets are accessible throughout the house and garage.
• Remove “creative wiring,” such as extension cords used in attic, interior and exterior.

Plumbing

• To prevent any water damage, fix or let the inspector know about any leaks prior to inspection.

Heating and Air Conditioning

• Install a clean filter.
• Consider having the unit cleaned and serviced, especially if it has been at least 3 years since the unit was last serviced.
• Maintain and make available all service and repair invoices.

Fireplace/Chimney

• Consider having the wood burning fireplace and chimney cleaned by a chimney-sweep before the inspection, especially if it has been a while since it was last cleaned.

Pets

• It is best that pets be removed from the premises during the inspection. Keep in mind that the inspector needs access to the entire home, so keeping the pets in the garage or the backyard is not a good idea.

Utilities

• All utilities (electricity, gas and water) should be on and all pilot lights lit so the inspector will not need to return to finish the inspection.
• Replace all burned-out light bulbs at all fixtures.

Foundation

• Remove wood, debris or stored items away from the foundation.

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<h2>Preparing the Home for an Inspection</h2><br /> <p>As the home seller, you can help facilitate a smooth home inspection by doing the following:</p><ul><li>Be prepared with any documentation or repair records for decks, additions, finished basements, and the like.</li><li>All exterior doors should be accessible.</li><li>All door locks should be operable.</li><li>Remove debris from gutters/downspouts and trim shrubs away from the foundation</li></ul><h3>Interior</h3><ul><li>All interior areas should be accessible.</li><li>Crawl space access should be clear.</li><li>Remove belongings from storage rooms.</li><li>Make sure the stairs to the attic can be pulled down without endangering belongings or people.</li><li>Attics should be empty so that the inspection includes the entire area.</li></ul><h3>Garages</h3><ul><li>Ensure the garage is unlocked and remove any stored items, cars, etc…</li><li>There needs to be at least three feet of clearance from the walls for inspection.</li></ul><p><strong>Electrical</strong></p><ul><li>The electrical panel needs to be accessible to the inspector. For easier access, remove anything blocking the panel.</li><li>Ensure the electrical panel has an inspection sticker.</li><li>Remove "creative wiring," such as extension cords used in attic, interior and exterior.</li></ul><h3>Plumbing</h3><ul><li>To prevent any water damage, fix or let the inspector know about any leaks prior to inspection.</li></ul><h3>Heating and Air Conditioning</h3><ul><li>Install a clean filter.</li><li>Consider having the unit cleaned and serviced, especially if it has been a while since the unit was last serviced.</li><li>Maintain all repair invoices.</li></ul><h3>Fireplace/Chimney</h3><ul><li>Consider having the fireplace and chimney cleaned by a chimney-sweep before the inspection, especially if it has been a while since it was last cleaned.</li></ul><h3>Pets</h3><ul><li>It is best that pets be removed from the premises during the inspection. Keep in mind that the inspector needs access to the entire home, so keeping the pets in the garage or the backyard is not a good idea.</li></ul><h3>Utilities</h3><ul><li>All utilities (electricity, gas and water) should be on and all pilot lights lit so the inspector will not need to return to finish the inspection.</li><li>Replace any burned-out light bulbs.</li></ul><h3>Foundation</h3><ul><li>Remove wood, debris or stored items away from the foundation.</li></ul></p><br /> Article published with permission from: <a href="http://www.usinspect.com" mce_href="http://www.usinspect.com">U.S. Inspect</a><br /> <p>Article courtesy of <a href="http://www.usinspect.com" mce_href="http://www.usinspect.com">U.S. Inspect</a>.</p>