Ideas By Sky

Almost all purchase contracts include a home inspection contingency clause, a provision to allow the buyers to hire a professional home inspector of their choosing to thoroughly evaluate the home for any major problems. After you’ve accepted an offer on your house, the buyers will coordinate home inspection within 10-days in average. This is the crucial time for negotiations; as I mentioned many times in previous steps of selling your home, you should work closely with your agent and trust her guidance.  

Below is some samples of how your agent will help you:

• Inform you different types of home maintenance issues that are common in your area if not done already. 
• Creating a game plan for any repair requests from buyers—this is crucial since your unique situation will determine the negotiation tactics. If you need to sell urgently, you may not have the time to hire contractors to fix issues yourself. In this case, you will need to credit the seller or negotiate a lower sales price which you’re still in your comfort zone. 
• Educate you on real estate market to determine how much leverage you have as the homeowner. Depending on the market trends, it might be a buyer’s market or seller’s market. If you are in seller’s market as we are now, your home will have no trouble selling when priced right as inventory levels are so low.
• Assist you to differentiate between minor and major home inspection findings and what constitutes grounds for negotiations. As a seller you will have the option to agree or not agree on repairs depending on if it is cosmetic repairs versus issues that pose a health or safety threat.

• You will be aware of what to expect after your home inspection hence by the time you list your home and receive an offer, you will still be able to do some repairs
• Pre-home inspection will give us a better chance to price your home. Since we know the market and your home and we positioned it perfectly, this will give us the upper hand during negotiations
• Since you will learn the condition of your home and know what to expect, overall transaction will be much less stressful

1. Make sure there is access to all areas

If the home inspector cannot reach to some areas in your property, he will not be able to inspect. This raises red flags for the buyers. It crucial for you you to clear any clutter that avoids access to areas or systems that the inspector needs to take a look at such as  basements, attics, furnace rooms, and under sinks.Open up the boundaries

In addition to checking the interior functioning of your home, the inspector is also going to be looking at the exterior, including siding, trims, and caulking around windows and doors. You’ll want to leave areas around your home clear of plant growth, trash cans, and stored items so they can get an unimpeded look.

2. Check the roof

The roof is a key part of the home inspection, it will be important for you to control it before the inspection. You should make sure that the roof is free of moss and debris from the gutters, check for damaged or missing tiles, and make sure downspouts are in their proper position. 

3. Make sure the house is clean

I know you already became pretty adept to keeping your home clean until this point. This is just a reminder to resist the urge to let things go out of hand after you accepted the offer. By cleaning your home before the inspector arrives, you are making sure that he has perfect vision of your home and messiness is not distracting him to do his job properly. 

4. Make sure all the bulbs are functioning

Think about this scenario: home inspector is checking the electric wiring and one bulb is not lightning. Either the bulb itself is out, or there’s something faulty in the fixture’s wiring. Avoid this scenario by making sure that all of your bulbs are in working order.

5. Make sure toilets are functioning properly

This is a common problem in every day life that you forget or ignore easily, however home inspector is not going to forego so easily. This is an easy and inexpensive repair you can take care on your own, make sure you take care of it before inspection.

6. Put in a fresh furnace return filter

This is something that you should pay attention regularly. Replacing the furnace is important for air quality and the overall functioning of your heating system. Make sure that the inspector appreciates you taking good care of your home’s heating and air.

7. Light the pilot lights

Many homeowners turn their fireplace off in warmer months, so it’s important to double check that the pilot light – and the fireplace itself – is working prior to inspection. If your is taking place outside of the winter months, make sure that your pilot lights turn on.

8. Make certain the fuse box is labeled properly

I suggest you to double check that each switch in the box is labeled clearly and correctly, and replace any labels that are incorrect or difficult to read.

9. Make sure each door is in working condition

Interior and exterior doors should be latching into the frame with no problem, doorknobs should be securely in place, and any locks, particularly on doors that lead outside, need to be functioning properly as well. Sometimes cold or heat can warp normally functional doors and lead to problems, so be sure to check all doors, including those you don’t use very often.

10. Fix any broken cabinets

The hinges on cabinets get a bit loose easily, this results in doors that don’t close all the way or or that don’t align with the frame. This is also an easy fix as you can simply just by tightening the hinge with a screwdriver.

11. Search for any leaks or water damage

Make sure to check under sinks, around faucets, around the base of your toilets and bathtubs and/or showers, and under any appliances that may leak, such as dishwashers and refrigerators. In terms of water damage, examine walls, ceilings, and floors, investigate for signs of warping, sagging, or buckling. Don’t overlook the exterior of your home for signs of leaks or water damage as well. If you see water pooling near the base of your house, that should be a cause for concern.

12. Take care of any pest issues

If you’ve got a wasp nest in the backyard or are regularly seeing lines of ants in your kitchen or other interior areas, you’ll want to take care of these problems prior to inspection. Most pest problems are easy to fix, however once it is out there it will be a big turn-off for the potential buyers.