Preparing for Home Inspection
How do you prepare for a home inspection?
Proper planning for a home inspection by the buyer and seller
make home inspections go much more smoothly.
- Allow two to three hours for a complete home inspection
- The buyer should accompany the inspector for best education.
- The property owner should be contacted regarding the time, date, and estimated duration of the home inspection.
- The home inspector should have the buyer’s full name, address, and phone number, if the buyer is unable to attend the inspection.
- The home inspector should be contacted at least 24 hours before the inspection if the appointment needs to be cancelled or postponed.
- The property’s systems (i.e., gas, electric, water, and oil) should be turned on for the inspection.
- The owner should be informed that all appliances, equipment, and systems will be inspected and returned to the condition in which they were found prior to the inspection
- Access and keys must be made available for all property, including garages, closets, attics, etc..
- The owner should move items that block access to the furnace, boiler, hot-water heater, attic, crawl space, access panels, electric service panels, water meter, etc..
- All sinks, tubs, and basins should be emptied.
- The written inspection report is provided to the buyer after the inspection. The buyer should indicate if the report should be shared with the real estate agents or other parties.
- Payment is due upon completion of the inspection.