Speed up your home sale by preparing your home ahead of time using the following tips. Your home inspection will go smoother, with fewer concerns to delay closing.
- Confirm that that the water, electrical and gas services are turned on for the inspection (including pilot lights).
- Make sure your pets won’t hinder your home inspection. Ideally, they should be removed from the premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.
- Replace burned-out light bulbs to avoid a “light is inoperable” report that may suggest an electrical problem.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace dead batteries.
- Clean or replace dirty HVAC air filters. They should fit securely.
- Remove stored items, debris and wood from the foundation. These may be cited as “conducive conditions” for termites.
- Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electrical service panels, the water heater, attic and crawlspace. Make sure the attic is accessible.
- Unlock any locked areas that your home inspector must access, such as the attic door or hatch, the electrical service panel, the door to the basement or storage space, and any exterior gates.
- Trim tree limbs so that they’re at least 10 feet away from the roof. Trim any shrubs that are too close to the house and can hides pests or hold moisture against the exterior.
- Repair or replace any broken or missing items, such as doorknobs, locks or latches, windowpanes or screens, gutters or downspouts, or chimney caps.
Checking these areas before your home inspection is an investment in selling your property. Better yet, have Zuehlke Inspection Service perform a Pre-Listing home inspection prior to putting your home on the market. Our pre-listing seller inspection program includes free marketing for your home sale powered by inspectedhouses.com See our Pre-Inspections page at Pre-Listing Seller Inspections.
As always, I hope you took some value from this post and if you have any home related questions, please let me know at the email address below.
-AZ
Aaron M. Zuehlke is the owner and a Certified Master Inspector® at Zuehlke Inspection Service, LLC, a full-service home inspection company serving Southern Wisconsin. Specializing in Home inspection, Radon Testing, Mold Testing/inspection, Well Inspections/Well Water Testing, Residential Thermal Imaging, and Manufactured Home Foundation Certifications. He also manages several rental properties through Zuehlke Properties, LLC. He can be reached by email at Aaron@Zuehlkeinspections.com or by calling the office at 608-931-7485