Things to Do Prior to a Home Inspection

Congratulations! You just got an offer on your house. But in this day and age, that’s not the end of the selling process. Your potential buyers will likely enlist the help of a trusted home inspector to protect their investment. As a seller, this might cause you to wonder if your home will pass inspection. 

As Cleveland home inspectors, we want to help pull back the curtain on home inspections and give you our top tips to help your home perform well on a home inspection. Read on for our top 5 pieces of advice for home sellers looking to get a glowing report!

1. Check your HVAC and service minor repairs in advance. 

HVAC and furnace inspection often ends with the home inspector recommending that you have a certified technician come out and service your unit. The trick is to beat them to it! Call your trusted HVAC company to take a look and make any minor, needed repairs. Then, you can show your potential buyers the paperwork before they even call for an inspection.

2. Calk around openings.

No one wants leaky windows or drafty doors! This is a relatively inexpensive and easy DIY for you to tackle yourself, or hire a handyman to knock out in a few hours. Fresh caulk shows how well you take care of your home, and prospective buyers (& their home inspectors!) will appreciate this

3. Hire an electrician to bring all minor code violations into compliance. 

Electrical code can change from year to year, so it’s likely a home inspector will catch something that needs to be fixed. Get ahead of the repairs by hiring an electrician to take a look at your home and bring all the small, necessary components up to code. This can include installing GFCI outlets in areas with high moisture, like kitchens & bathrooms, which is something home inspectors look for.

4. Check your vents & ducts. 

A home inspector will check to see how well your AC is working, and leaky ducts can be the culprit behind a poorly air conditioned home. Seal up any leaks with the proper duct tape (not all duct tape is duct worthy, believe it or not!). 

5. Make your home accessible by trimming trees and hedges.

If trees or hedges are overgrown and touching your home, it will likely cause the home inspector to flag it as a potential problem. They might recommend that roofers or other professionals come and take another look, further delaying the sale of your home. Take care of it in advance, showing clearly the care you put into maintaining your property. 

These are our top tips for passing a Cleveland home inspection, but the reality is that it’s very hard to eliminate everything that might show up on the report. These few, fairly simple repairs will show both the prospective buyer and the home inspector that you care for and maintain your home well. This can help ease their minds as they move forward with the buying process. 

Whether you’re buying or selling a home, there are many variables to consider. At Keystone Home Inspections, we try to make the inspection process as simple and painless as possible, so your transaction can proceed smoothly. If you would like to learn more about our services or schedule a home inspection, feel free to contact us.