Selling a home can be an exciting yet stressful experience, and we understand that an inspection of your home can be intimidating. An inspection is not meant to be an indictment of the homeowner or their care for the home. Inspections are simply a snapshot in time of the current condition of the home. No judgements imposed. There are a few things you can do to make the inspection process easier, safer, and more efficient. Doing these things will ensure that the inspector can do their job to the fullest extent and to the best of their ability.
1. Boost Accessibility:
The inspector needs unobstructed access to all areas of your home, most importantly the attic, crawl space, furnace, water heater, and electrical panel (we often find that these areas are blocked). Removing clutter from these areas will ensure that the inspector can do their job completely. The inspector cannot move personal belongings, so anything that is not made accessible will not be inspected (This is for liability reasons. We don't want to break, disrupt, dislodge, or otherwise damage any of your belongings).
2. Eliminate Distractions:
Try to schedule the inspection when no other work is happening at the house. The inspector needs to use all of their senses when inspecting, including hearing. Leaf blowers, pressure washers, radios, vacuums, saws, etc can inhibit the inspector from hearing what they are doing and are distracting in general. Pressure washers also make it difficult to test the water pressure, as an example of another reason why additional workers at the home is less than ideal.
3. Keep people to a minimum:
The inspector is typically running a series of tests on various components of the home throughout the inspection. Having people around that are turning off fans that the inspector is running, adjusting the thermostat, etc., is distracting and inefficient for the inspector. Multiple people hanging around, chatting, and talking to the inspector is also highly distracting and can cause things to get missed.
4. Reduce Clutter:
If possible, provide an environment free from excessive clutter. Again, we do not move personal belongings, so anything that we cannot see or get to because of clutter, furniture, or stored items will not be inspected.
5. Gather Documentation:
Collect any maintenance records you have, such as HVAC servicing, roof replacement dates, etc. We do our best to figure these things out on our own, but sometimes having confirmation by way of documentation is helpful.
Benefits of a Pre-Inspection:
The inspector needs unobstructed access to all areas of your home, most importantly the attic, crawl space, furnace, water heater, and electrical panel (we often find that these areas are blocked). Removing clutter from these areas will ensure that the inspector can do their job completely. The inspector cannot move personal belongings, so anything that is not made accessible will not be inspected (This is for liability reasons. We don't want to break, disrupt, dislodge, or otherwise damage any of your belongings).
2. Eliminate Distractions:
Try to schedule the inspection when no other work is happening at the house. The inspector needs to use all of their senses when inspecting, including hearing. Leaf blowers, pressure washers, radios, vacuums, saws, etc can inhibit the inspector from hearing what they are doing and are distracting in general. Pressure washers also make it difficult to test the water pressure, as an example of another reason why additional workers at the home is less than ideal.
3. Keep people to a minimum:
The inspector is typically running a series of tests on various components of the home throughout the inspection. Having people around that are turning off fans that the inspector is running, adjusting the thermostat, etc., is distracting and inefficient for the inspector. Multiple people hanging around, chatting, and talking to the inspector is also highly distracting and can cause things to get missed.
4. Reduce Clutter:
If possible, provide an environment free from excessive clutter. Again, we do not move personal belongings, so anything that we cannot see or get to because of clutter, furniture, or stored items will not be inspected.
5. Gather Documentation:
Collect any maintenance records you have, such as HVAC servicing, roof replacement dates, etc. We do our best to figure these things out on our own, but sometimes having confirmation by way of documentation is helpful.
Benefits of a Pre-Inspection:
- Peace of Mind: Uncover and fix potential problems before they become dealbreakers for buyers.
- Stronger Offers: Demonstrate your commitment to transparency by addressing concerns upfront.
- Faster Closing: Avoid delays that could slow down the selling process.
Partner with Sage Home Inspections for a Stress-Free Inspection
We are dedicated to providing a thorough and detailed inspection of your home. We understand that selling a home can be stressful, and we're here to help you navigate the process with confidence.
We are dedicated to providing a thorough and detailed inspection of your home. We understand that selling a home can be stressful, and we're here to help you navigate the process with confidence.
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