In general, it’s good to have knowledge of your house’s nooks, crannies, and problem spots. Here are a few things you should consider before the inspector visits your home. Any major and minor issues could cost you money off your sale price or worse — the deal itself.
1. Clear Access
Ensure access to important areas of your house are clear. Think about your furnace, electrical box, hot water heater, and air conditioning units, attic door and any other possible locked spaces. Also make it easier to access under sinks for plumbing work as well as any areas blocked off by storage, etc. If the inspector cannot gain access, he or she will be unable to include them in the report, thus raising questions for your buyers.
2. Clear Clogs
Go through your entire house to all the sinks drains — one by one — and run the water. If you come across a slow drain try using store-bought clog removers. For very slow or even totally clogged drains, its recommended to call in a plumber.
3. Replace Bulbs
Examine your attached light fixtures. Make sure all the light bulbs are operational. Inspectors only get an overhead view and cannot determine if the bulb itself is out or if there’s possibly an underlying electrical issue.
4. Check all Monitors
Be sure to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Test before inspection day and look at the expiration dates. You should have a smoke alarm on every level of your home — including the basement. There should be at least one carbon monoxide detector in your home, in the sleeping area.
5. Replace Filters
Replace your furnace return air filters. Dirty filters impact the efficiency of your overall HVAC system, they also show neglect. This isn’t the type of impression you want to leave with your inspector.
6. Cracks
If your home has any cracked windows or broken screens, you should fix them before the inspector comes. Even if a crack isn’t a big issue, it will still show up in your report.
7. Property Grading
Make sure that the earth slopes away from your home versus toward it to avoid basement water issues. Even if there’s no evidence of water entering your home, it’s a good idea to slope dirt away in flowerbeds and other areas that come in contact with the foundation.
8. Cap It
Any sort of caps needed in and around your home should be there. Unused gas lines — even if shut off — should be capped. Chimneys or flues should be capped to prevent debris, including leaves and pesky animals, from blocking off critical vents.
9. Trim Your Trees
Take a look at any overhanging vegetation on your property. Trees that are over roofs can prematurely shorten roof life by inviting moss and lichen to grow. Rodents can gain easy access to your chimney and other openings from overhanging branches. If there is a low-hanging or unhealthy branch, it could fall onto the roof.
10. Think Big
If you know you have asbestos, lead, or other health and safety issues in your home, it is a good idea to disclose this information before you begin the process of selling your home. Otherwise, be prepared for these items to show up in a report and possibly scare away potential buyers.
11. Flush
Flush your toilets to see if any aren’t working as they should. Check for leaks and any water dripping from connections or pipes. Sometimes a fix is as easy as adjusting the water level in your tank. Other times, a clog or hard water (creating sediment) might be the problem.
12. Electrical Outlets
Go to each outlet in your home to see if any aren’t working. It’s also a good idea to note any issues with your electrical system that you have observed and lived with in your time at the home. Any flickering light fixtures or slow switches, etc., can be signs of a problem for an electrician to investigate.
13. Cracks
Many older homes, especially those with plaster walls, have hairline cracks. Many of these cracks are not concerning, as they mostly indicate the expansion and contraction of the wall material with normal house settling and temperature fluctuations. If you have cracks in your foundation or exterior, or your doors and windows aren’t closing from misalignment, you may want to have them checked before inspection.
14. Windows and Doors
Open and close all your windows and doors to look for anything that’s creaking, loose, or otherwise not functioning properly. Look at hinge pins, door knobs, and anything else that seems amiss.
15. Address the Issues
If you bought your house only a few years ago, chances are you still have a copy of your old home inspection from purchase. Go through the report and look for any unaddressed issues you’ve come to live with over the years. It’s almost like having a cheat sheet.
16. Hire a Professional
If there are any issues in this list that you’re not familiar with fixing, it’s a good idea to call a certified professional before your inspection date to do the work. Amateur fixes will not show well on inspection reports.
Do you have questions about Home Inspections? Contact THE 905 REAL ESTATE GUYS
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Sean Kavanagh 905.220.9180
Leo Manchisi 905.334.9650