A Home Inspector's 7 Tips for Home Sellers

[Rick Nipper]

Here are some tips to provide a better home selling experience. As a home seller, you are looking to move on to the next phase of your life whether it be a house in a nearby neighborhood or a cross-country move.

It's easy to be overwhelmed by making the decision to sell your home. There are boxes to pack, addresses to change, and people to notify.

But, before you get ahead of yourself, follow these seven tips to make life easier by receiving the best home inspection report possible for the house you are selling and prevent any delay on closing on your house:

1.  Move it. The home inspector must be able to access all areas including as the attic, garage, storage room and basement. If the entrance to any of these areas is blocked, move furniture or  belongings away to make these areas accessible. If a scuttle hole to the attic is in a closet, make sure to move items out of the closet so that a ladder can reach the scuttle hole. Home inspectors aren’t going to move your belongings. It’s a liability issue. Also, don’t forget to remove any lock on a crawl space door. If you block access to any area that should be inspected, it will look as if you have something to hide. 

2.  Make it shine. Test all light fixtures and replace all burned out and missing bulbs. If bulbs are burned out or missing, the home inspector won’t be able to determine if the problem is simply a burned out bulb or if there is actually something wrong with the light fixture or the electrical wiring. Consequently, these fixtures would be written up on the home inspection report.

3.  Check those batteries. Get a step ladder and test those irritating smoke detectors. If a smoke detector doesn’t work, replace the battery. Dead batteries are the most likely reason that smoke detectors don’t work. If changing the battery doesn't solve the problem, install a new smoke detector.

4. Replace it. There is nothing more disgusting than a return air filter that hasn’t been changed in years. This is not the impression you want to leave with the home inspector and the buyers who still have time to back out of the contract. Dirty air filters not only affect the quality of the air you and your family breathe, but dirt can affect the performance of your heating and air conditioning equipment. Replace all dirty return air filters.

5. Prune. Prune. Prune. Rid your yard of any vegetation that touches or overhangs any portion of the house. Vegetation that touches the house allows moisture particularly when it rains to come into contact with building materials promoting rot. Prune it. Dig it up. Pull it out.

6. Pull out that screwdriver. Check all exterior and interior doors. Tighten loose door knobs, latch plates, and door hinges. Make sure the hinge pins are fully installed. Also, check all kitchen and bathroom vanity cabinet knobs and handles. Tighten any loose ones.

7. Raise them up. One of the most common problems I see in houses are windows that are stuck closed. The typical reason why windows are stuck is dried paint. Windows that cannot be easily opened as a means to exit a house during an emergency are a safety hazard. Make sure that all of the windows in the house can be easily opened.

If any of these seven items show up during a home inspection of your house, be assured that they will show up on the home inspection report. You can easily tackle these items. When you are close to sealing the deal, you don’t want these type of items cluttering the home inspection report. Home inspectors are human too. When a home inspector sees that these basic items have been addressed, it leaves a positive impression about the home which can only work to your benefit.

To learn more about strategies to make the process for selling your home go more quickly and smoothly, click here.

What other tips have I left out?

[Leslie Flowers]

Rick, these are AWESOME tips ... and as a result, I won't be moving for quite some time!!! Windows stuck, pruning required ... and the move it ... forget it! Great post!

[Bill Laundon]

Good stuff Rick. Even those of us who are not moving need to remember these items to keep our homes in good shape.

[Rick Nipper]

Thanks for the reminder, Bill. Basic home maintenance is a good idea all the time even though it may be hard to find time or motivation. Being up-to-date with home maintenance helps when life throws you a curve ball. Your best made plans may change and your house might need to go up for sale.