As any real estate agent can tell you, home inspections are a big part of the sales process and they can be the differentiating factor between a smooth and successful sale or a slow and painful deal breaker. Buyers need them to protect their investments and sellers can use them to improve the sale.
There are, however, many aspects to the home inspection process. Let’s discuss when and why home inspections occur and how to prepare for a home inspection. Sellers and real estate agents can all take advantage of and learn from these insightful ideas.
But first…
What Is a Home Inspection?
When a home sale is near closing, buyers will typically get the home inspected by a home inspector. The home inspector inspects the home for health, safety and structural issues. They look for things that are not functioning, unsafe or close to the end of their expiration, all in accordance with the state’s standards.
Typically, home inspections can last up to 3 hours on an average sized home and the inspector checks everything from the inside out and the surrounding areas of the home as well. They are mostly on the lookout for safety issues as their primary target.
From there, they might then take an additional few days to complete the report.
When and Why Do Home Inspections Occur?
Home inspections from the buyer occur before closing the sale and after they have made an offer. They gives the buyer an opportunity to request the required repairs or renegotiate the initial offer they made on the home.
Similarly, sellers can get a home inspection done as well. This is known as a pre-listing home inspection, but it is not always the best idea. Sellers may want to get a home inspection done so they can address certain issues before listing the home.
The problem is that sellers are obligated by law (seller disclosure) to present a pre-listing home inspection to buyers. Additionally, every home inspector inspects a home differently, one might find certain things while another may miss those and find other things.
This means that a seller’s pre-listing home inspection may differ greatly from a buyer’s home inspection, in which case, it is better to let the buyer’s inspection be the only one. This is because they may miss a few things that are caught in the pre-listing inspection.
If all home inspectors followed the standard correctly, this may not be the case, but they do not. There is no guarantee that the buyer’s home inspector will report the same things as the seller’s. Which is why sellers should think and consult their real estate agents before getting a pre-listing inspection.
There are times when a pre-listing home inspection can be a good practice. It can help speed up the sales process if defects in the home are addressed promptly. Sellers can bring the report up front to buyers and show them the repairs made.
This makes the buyer more comfortable, confident and suggests to them that the seller actually cares about the home. Especially for older homes, pre-listing inspections and subsequent repairs can help avoid renegotiations, repair requests, failed deals and generally speed up the selling process.
While old homes can take advantage of pre-listing home inspections, for normal homes, the traditional buyer’s home inspection is best, unless your agent advises you otherwise. Which means if you are a seller or their agent, you need to be prepared.
How to Prepare for a Home Inspection
Although anyone can be present during a home inspection including the buyer, seller, agents or even house guests, it is best that only concerned parties are present. Home inspectors are typically thorough with their inspections and have a very long checklist of things to tick off.
They will take hours and go through everything. Sellers and their real estate agents need to be prepared for a through home inspection and here are a few things they can prepare for before the home inspection.
Limit the Number of Bodies
You want the inspection to be as fast as possible, which means no people or pets getting in the way of the home inspector. Try to limit the number of people in the home during the inspection and lock away all your pets to avoid any delays.
De-Clutter the Home
If a home inspector cannot access a certain area, they will mark it as ‘uninspected’ in their report, which delays the process and prolongs the sale. It is best to de-clutter your home including the attic space, basements, living areas and garages to give them full access to everything.
Additionally, you need to make sure that they have access to the home’s water heater, furnace and electrical panel so they can conduct essential inspections.
Check All Electrical Outputs
Lights, fans and outlets all need to be checked and you need to ensure that they are functioning properly. Burnt out lights and non-functioning electrical outlets are a sign of electrical issues in your home and you do not want that to be a concern in the report.
Address Plumbing Issues
Check all drains for clogging and make sure that you unclog them before the home inspection because they may result in a plumbing issue on the report. Additionally, make sure all taps and faucets have clear running water and good flow.
Repairs
This is an obvious one. You need to make sure that all major structural issues are dealt with and any broken doors, windows or walls are repaired well before the inspection.
Debug Your Home
Infestation of any kind, especially termites, can be a major red flag on your home inspection report, which is why it is important to fumigate your home. Whether you do it yourself with some bug spray or get a professional exterminator to do it for you, it needs to be dealt with beforehand.
Replace Filters
It may surprise you but home inspectors will often check the air quality of your home and report it, if they suspect poor quality air. You need to replace the filters in your HVAC system and eliminate the possibility of air quality blemishing your home inspection report.
Trim the Trees
Low hanging trees close to the roof give rodents free access to your roof, chimneys, gutters and other entry points. They also raise concerns of roof damage, which is why you need to trim them down to an acceptable level.
Show Receipts
You want to organize the receipts of any servicing or maintenance on your home and show them to the buyer and home inspector. This will make things faster and easier during the inspection and improve the home inspection report.
Conclusion
Home inspections can affect the sale of a property and it is always better to be proactive and prepare for one beforehand, rather than delaying the inevitable, repairing on demand or renegotiating or worse, ending the contract entirely.
It is an important part of the buying process that protects buyers. Sellers and agents need to respect this process and help expedite it as quickly and seamlessly as possible. If you are a real estate agent who is compromising on your time for home inspections, we are here to help.
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It allows you to find and connect with other real estate professionals around you and create a powerful network of reliable and trusted partners. With Oktohub, you will never have to compromise your time for work any longer. You can use your network of trusted partners when you need them the most.
For example, if you have a home inspection or an open house to conduct for your clients but an emergency occurs on the day or you have prior commitments, you can easily find assistance on Oktohub to help you out in such a situation.
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