Top 10 Sellers Tips For A Smooth Buyer's Home Inspection

Top 10 Sellers Tips For A Smooth Buyer’s Home Inspection

After over a decade inspecting homes, I’ve created a list of simple things that every seller (or listing agent) can do to help ensure that the buyer’s home inspection proceeds smoothly. Any road bump can slow down the home buying process. The inspection process can be stressful for all involved, but it certainly doesn’t need to be. I suggest that Realtors® keep this list and hand it out to your future sellers for reference.

All Utilities/Appliances must be ON – All utilities (water, gas, fuel oil, electric) and all appliances (water heater, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc.) must be operational prior to the inspection. All plumbing fixtures, major kitchen appliances remaining with the home (heating and cooling equipment, water heater, etc.) will be tested so they need to be operational unless a safety hazard exists by doing so. Home inspectors do not turn on gas/water service valves nor do we pull out refrigerators to plug them in or turn on circuit breakers . The reason why? Liability. Plus we don’t know (or assume to know) why a system or appliance is shut down; assuming why something is turned off can be hazardous or deadly. If an appliance or system is turned off for safety reasons, all parties involved (listing agent, buyer’s agent, and the inspector) should be told about it prior to the inspection for everyone’s safety.
Access to attics, basement, and/or crawl spaces – The home inspector must inspect the attic, yet sometimes we find shelving, clothing, or boxes filling the closet preventing attic access. I also don’t want insulation to fall down from the attic all over your clothing. Clearing the area near the attic access before the inspector arrives is a smart idea. Also, sometimes I know a crawl space exists under part of a home but I can find no way to access it. Sometimes a hidden wall panel exists that only the home owner knows about. Ensure that safe, clearly identified access exists to these areas; if need be, leave a note for the inspector on the kitchen counter.
Access to breaker panels, water heaters, HVAC equipment, etc. – The inspector can only inspect what we can safely visually and physically access. If we can’t safely access or test something, we will note this in the report. The buyer will then often ask (sometimes ‘require’) the seller to pay for the inspector to return to re-inspect once proper safe access is provided. Many sellers wrongly assume that the home inspector will move whatever is in our way. Nope… for liability reasons, we don’t move boxes/stored items, furniture, wall hangings, appliances, etc. Plus, as a seller, do you really want a complete stranger moving your furniture and appliances or disassembling your shelving? We want to protect and respect your home and your belongings.
Service Records – Since central heating and cooling systems should be professionally serviced yearly, recent service records for these systems should either be posted at the heating/cooling appliances or a copy can be left on the kitchen counter. Home inspectors look for recent (from within the past 12 months) service records; if none are found, the buyer will undoubtedly ask the seller to have these systems professionally serviced/cleaned prior to closing. A complete and up-to-date service history of your heating and cooling systems indicates to a potential buyer that the home was well-maintained.
Turn off computers – The inspector will be checking the accessible receptacles, operating wall switches, tripping and resetting GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) devices, etc. A computer that is left on may inadvertently be turned off by the inspector when he trips a GFCI or operates a wall switch. The inspector doesn’t live in the home so he doesn’t necessarily know what wall switches control what receptacles or lights in the home. We don’t want you to lose the future ‘best selling’ novel that you’ve spent 5 years writing only to have it lost forever when the inspector turns off a wall switch all because you forgot to hit SAVE on your computer.
Locate your GFCI devices – Inspecting GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) devices is a requirement of the Standards Of Practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), so the inspector will be testing the home’s receptacles and GFCI devices to ensure that they properly trip and reset. Sometimes once we trip a GFCI, we then have to go around the home to try to find the tripped GFCI and reset it; the tripped GFCI may not be in the same room as the receptacle that we tested. In some cases, GFCIs are located behind shelves, boxes, or furniture in places where the inspector would never find. After the inspection is complete, I recommend that sellers confirm that all GFCI devices in their home have been reset and are in the ON position. If there is a fridge or freezer in the garage or basement, make sure it is still powered when you get home; receptacles in these areas are often powered by GFCIs.
Leave keys for any locked areas – Occasionally I will find an area of the home or a detached garage that requires a different key than was provided in the lockbox. We can’t inspect what we can’t access. If there are any special keys needed to access part of the home/property, leave the key on the kitchen counter with a note indicating its purpose.
Cluttered Areas – An area of the home that is cluttered and can’t fully and safely be walked means that it likely can’t be properly inspected. If there are cars or stored items in the garage below the attic access panel, we won’t be able to inspect the attic. Again, we don’t move stored items, appliances, garden tractors, etc. and the buyer may ask for a re-inspection (paid for by the seller) once access is provided.
Give Us Adequate Time – The inspector will arrive about 15~20 minutes early to gain entrance, turn on the lights, and learn the basic layout of the home. Then, he will meet and greet his client (the buyer), perform the actual inspection, and answer any final questions that our client may have. The buyer is our client, our inspection agreement, the ASHI Code of Ethics, and PA Act 114 includes non-disclosure verbiage which prevents the inspector from discussing anything inspection-related with the seller or listing agent (unless there is an imminent safety hazard present), so we need to be given sufficient time to perform the inspection and communicate with our client. Plan to stay away from the home for at least 3 hours. If the home is larger than most, an extra hour or two may be needed.
Pets – Let the inspector know if there are any pets in the home. I love pets, but opening the front door only to see an unknown cat or dog slip out and run down the street is the wrong way to get things started. This is for the pet’s protection, too. Either take the pet with you when you leave prior to the inspection or put the pet in a cage or room (please put a sign on the room’s door) inside the home where it is safe. I once spent a half hour chasing a cat around a neighborhood that ran out the front door when I opened it.

Following these tips will help all involved proceed through the home inspection process smoothly.

Matthew Steger is a Certified Level 1 Infrared Thermographer, an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI), and an electrical engineer. He can be reached at matthew@thehomeinspectorsnotebook.com. No article, or portion thereof, may be reproduced or copied without prior written consent of Matthew Steger.