Jan. 31, 2006 - Seller - Getting Ready for Home Inspection

Having attended many, many home inspections, I would like to offer a few tips regarding getting ready for an inspection (sellers) and what to bring to an inspection (buyers). 

There are a few things that a seller should do to get ready for an inspection. One is to change your furnace filter. I like the big bright blue ones for the inspection. When the inspector pulls out a filthy, dirty sometimes crumpled up filter in front of the agent and buyer, there is always a 15 second staring at the filthy thing that transpires. Just take my word for it. Its not a pleasant 15 seconds. Check your filter before the inspector arrives.

 For those not buying or selling property, go check your filter. They cost very little. Keep a new one in there monthly or every other month during heating season and year round if you have forced air and air conditioning.

 Also for sellers, the inspector will be spending some time with the buyer at the furnace, hot water tank and electrical panel. Make sure these are not covered with an inch of dust and dirt and are not blocked by boxes and storage items. Most times the inspector has to move things to get to these, which can put him in a bad mood. Trust me, you dint want a crabby home inspector. At a recent inspection we had to move a whole storage cabinet to find the whole house GFI in the garage. So yes, wash that hot water tank and change that filter and make sure three people can comfortable get to and stand in front of these areas. 

Buyers should bring some graph paper for drawing out the floorplan, a measuring tape for measuring the refrigerator opening if you are going to buy a new refrigerator, a clip board and pad for making notes and of course your check book to pay the inspector. The Home Inspection is one of the few things you pay at time of service in a real estate transaction and is generally not transferred to the closing sheet. Sometimes you can be reimbursed for the inspection, so be sure to tell your agent or escrow closing person to show the cost as a POC on the HUD 1 if you have seller paid costs built into the sale price. 

There are very few things you can do to get ready for a home inspection. Putting in a clean furnace filter is #1!