When you are selling your home, one of the most important documents a buyer will read and analyze is a home inspection. It's customary in the Bay Area for sellers to complete inspections up front and provide to the buyer as part of the disclosure package. Here are a few tips to make sure you end up with clean home inspection if you are getting ready to sell.
- Be Honest - Tell your agent if anything is broken, or was recently fixed. I often encounter homes where items are not working and the owners have just gotten used to living with it. New buyers are looking for any home they buy to be move-in ready, therefore it's prudent to fix anything thats broken before the home inspection and any buyer tours.
- Clean Up the Clutter - Prior to the inspector arriving, tidy up your home. Yes, the inspector is there to check on important aspects of your home but if they arrive to see a clean environment you’ll show them that you keep up with routine maintenance.
- Accessibility - The inspector will need to see every part of your home so it's best that you make these areas easy to reach. Some areas they'll need to see that you may need to clear a path for are the roof, garage, attic, electrical panel, basement or crawl space access, water heater and under sinks.
- Proof of Improvements - If you have made any upgrades to your home let the inspector know. It is also helpful if you have dates that you can share with the inspector regarding when things were updated or fixed.
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