Many home sellers get anxious during the home inspection process. No seller wants their deal to fall through. No one wants to be burdened with the cost of repairs of contingency requests from buyers.
Fortunately, there are many things a seller can do to prepare for an inspection.
One of the most common tips before a home inspection is to learn how inspectors operate and think. Another thing a seller can do before a home inspection in Apple Valley Lake is prepare everything in advance.
As a seller, note that the process involves taking care of every issue ahead of time for inspectors to complete their job.
In selling a home in Apple Valley, OH, a home inspection is one of the biggest hurdles a seller can face.
To understand precisely how to have your home in the best possible condition before a home inspection, read on for 13 tips that will help you make this happen.
What Should a Seller Expect from a Home Inspection?
A home inspection is a seller’s opportunity to address any problems with the home and negotiate its price with the buyer. So home sellers need to know what inspectors will look for to prepare for their visit to make everything go smoothly.
One of the things that sellers should expect from a home inspection is that the home inspector will look at the foundation, HVAC, electrical systems, structural components, plumbing, and roof.
Sellers should know the process usually takes two to four hours. However, it may take more time, depending on the size of the house.
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Why Should You Have Your Home Inspected Before Selling?
Serious buyers will pay to get their house formally inspected. A home inspection aims to uncover any potential issues before they sign and close the deal while leaving time for negotiation.
This is all the more reason for sellers to have their home inspected before putting it on the market. Here are a few more reasons sellers should have their houses inspected before selling.
1. Save Money in the Long Run
Getting a home inspection can provide sellers with a heads-up if there is anything that potential buyers will likely want to get fixed.
Once you discover what’s wrong, you can get the problems fixed before you put the house on the market. You can save money by doing so. Buyers will no longer negotiate a lower price, delaying the sale.
2. Display Your Home like an ‘Open Book’
Having a home inspection as the seller is a goodwill gesture, demonstrating one’s willingness to go beyond what buyers expect.
It also sets sellers apart from their competitors because they signal that their house is an open book and are upfront about their property. It attracts potential buyers and provides them confidence and peace of mind.
3. Highlight the Assets of Your House
A home inspection can shine a spotlight on your property’s selling points. So, if you want to sell a house as quickly and as profitably as possible, a home inspection is always an excellent idea.
What Are the 13 Common Tips Sellers Should Consider Before Home Inspection?
There are several things a seller must consider to prepare for the inevitable home inspection.
These 13 home inspection tips below can give you an idea of what you need to do to sell your home in Apple Valley Lake. Keep these tips in mind, and you can minimize negative inspection results.
1. Maintain a Clean House
You might already be pretty adept at keeping everything clean and tidy while selling your house. If you are getting a home inspection, resist the urge to let things get cluttered after you’ve accepted an offer.
Keep your property clean, and maintain the same level of cleanliness you made for the home inspector.
While having a clean home doesn’t play a vital role in inspections, a messy house may make inspectors suspicious that you don’t properly take care of other areas of the property.
2. Learn and Understand What Inspectors Look for a Home
It is crucial to understand how inspectors operate while preparing for a home inspection. However, don’t think about changing your home’s paint colors or furniture to please inspectors.
Keep in mind that an inspector aims to discover any health, mechanical, or safety issues that don’t meet the buyer’s loan requirements or state’s standards. They aren’t concerned at all with your home’s decor or furniture.
3. Don’t Conceal Any Home Concerns
As a seller, you must disclose any known home issues to the buyer upfront.
If you conceal any problem and the home inspector discovers it, you can lose credibility with your buyers up to the buyers walking away from the deal. They can use that against you so the buyer can negotiate.
4. Replace Any Burnt-Out Bulbs
A home inspector sees a blown bulb, and they may suspect there’s something faulty in the wiring of the fixture.
When they discover blown bulbs, they will either note a possible defect without looking further into it or waste time determining if it is inoperable.
Fortunately, you can avoid both scenarios by ensuring all bulbs are working in order and replacing those that aren’t.
5. Take Care of Pest Concerns
It is normal to deal with ants, bugs, spiders, or any pests in and around your home at times. However, during a hom inspection, the last thing you want is a wasp nest in the backyard or mice in the garden shed.
In that case, you’ll likely resort to taking action to keep them away from your property. While pest problems are not a big deal, they can turn off buyers, so you must take care of these concerns.
6. Make All Areas Accessible by Inspectors
Ensure that home inspectors have easy access throughout the property. If they can’t get to areas that need an inspection, it can be a red flag for buyers.
So, keep in mind to clear away any clutter that impedes access to places the inspector needs to see to have a problem-free home inspection.
7. Look for Any Leaks and Water Damage
Home inspectors will look for signs of leaks or water damage in any property. Check for these problems and get them repaired and fixed before listing your home. Any items fixed should be disclosed.
Make sure you check around the base of your toilets, bathtubs, and showers, around faucets, under sinks, and other areas that may get leaks.
When it comes to water damage, examine the ceilings, walls, and floors, and look for bucking, sagging, or warping signs.
8. Clear the Perimeter of the House
While checking the interior functioning of your house is crucial, you should also consider cleaning its exterior.
You’ll want to clear the perimeter and leave your property clear of trash cans, plant overgrowth, and other things that could make the area have an unkempt appearance.
9. Turn On All Pilot Lights
Your water heater’s pilot light is probably always on, but that in your gas fireplace may not be on all the time. Many homeowners turn off the gas fireplace, especially during summer.
For this reason, you should double-check to turn on all pilot lights and check if these lights are working correctly before a home inspection.
10. Check Your Roof
Many sellers are not fond of taking a good look at the roof of their house. The roof is an essential part of the home inspection, though, so never neglect to check it in your preparations.
If you find any damage on the roof, get it fixed by a professional before listing your home.
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11. Ensure Doors are in Working Condition
Another tip before getting an inspection is to take a walkthrough of your house and check that each door is in working condition.
Ensure that interior and exterior doors latch into the frame problem-free and doorknobs are securely in place.
12. Watch Out for Major Safety Concerns
One of the primary purposes of a home inspection is to ensure the safety of the property. For this reason, you must check for any significant safety concerns in your house. Make sure to amend any issue, even if it doesn’t harm you in any way.
13. Have an HVAC System
Before a home inspection, make sure you get an HVAC system to help clean and filter the air, which is also a source of ventilation. If you already have one, make sure to change its filters before the inspection day.
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The Bottom Line
While the sale of your house is almost a “done deal” as you found a buyer who accepted the purchase price, keep in mind that you still need to make it through the home inspection.
With the help of these 13 tips, you may find the preparation a bit easier than knowing nothing at all.
However, if you still see the list too daunting, you may consider hiring the top Apple Valley Lake real estate agents, Sherrie and Joe Toth, to help you get prepared to list your home.
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In case you cannot view this video here, please click the link below to view 13 Seller Tips Before Home Inspection in Apple Valley Lake on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq1DvzTd1KU
