Preparing Your Home for Inspection

Congratulations on getting your home under contract. First impressions also count when it comes to your home's inspection—make a small investment of time and money to create a good impression for the home inspector and reinforce why the buyers liked your house. Here are some suggestions to help you have a successful home inspection.

• Confirm that water, electric, gas service are on, with gas pilot light burning.
• Ensure pets won't hinder the inspection.  Ideally, they should be removed from premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.
• Replace burned out 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 foundation.  These may be cited as "conducive conditions" for termites.
• Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electrical service panels, closets, fence gates and crawl spaces.
• Unlock areas the inspector must access - attic doors or hatches, electric service panels, closets, fence gates and crawl spaces.
• Trim tree limbs to 10' from the roof and shrubs from the house to allow access.
• Attend to broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches; windowpanes, screens and locks; gutters, downspouts and chimney caps.