Home inspections are a written and asked about on this blog fairly frequently, but today we have a home inspection article from a different point of view – the home owner's. The sale of your home often hangs in the balance of the home inspection, so why not do what you can to make the inspection a success. Today's article was sent to us by Dale Finnessy of Global Property Inspections here in Edmonton. Many of our clients have enjoyed working with Dale, so we hope you find the article interesting.
With the help of the home owner, the inspection process can be expedited and safely undertaken. While you’re probably concerned about a stranger accessing all the nooks and crannies of your home, professional home inspectors are not required or advised to move your personal items, nor should they damage your home in anyway.
The more thoroughly the inspection is completed, the quicker the buyer(s) will be able to make a decision. Leaving components untested or unobserved, frustrates the buyer and can derail a sale. You should expect a thorough inspector to take 3-4 hours inspecting your home. Here is a list of some of the areas of your home the inspector will look at:
- Attic Access – The inspector will look in the attic, so make sure any clothes or personal items are cleared from the hatch area as dust and debris tends to fall when the hatch is opened. The hatch may be located in a closet, hallway or garage.
- Crawl space access doors – again please remove anything that may obstruct access, these doors are usually in storage rooms and cluttered areas.
- Sump pump – remove personal possessions that may block access to the sump pump. If it is under carpet or hidden make it accessible.
- Water meters and main water line – it’s important that the buyer understand some of the basic mechanics of the home they want to purchase and a critical aspect is knowing the exact location of the water shut-off valve, should a situation arise (broken pipe, leaking taps, etc.) after they move in.
- Furnace and hot water tank – these components require extensive attention during the inspection. The buyer will introduced to their responsibilities on maintaining the equipment.
- Electrical panels (including sub-panels) – the majority of HOME INSPECTORS will want to observe the contents and share with the buyers a basic introduction to disconnects and possible testing of breakers.
- Doors and windows will be inspected and tested – if there are decorative items on or near doors and windows (plants, hangers, stained glass, sun catchers, etc.) remove them so they don’t get damaged.
- Pets – should be removed (best option) or secured in a kennel. I used to be able to say that I had never lost an animal within the scope of an inspection. That ended a couple of years ago when I started an inspection with 3 cats, and finished with 2. The story has a happy ending (the cat came back), but you can imagine how stressful this was for all of us.
- Foundation walls – if personal possessions can be pulled away from exterior basement walls, it allows for a more thorough assessment.
- Kitchen – try and remove everything from your countertops, ovens, dishwashers, and microwaves and if possible below the sink(s).
Keep in mind if there is a problem with the home that you are trying to hide, making it difficult to access won’t make it go away. Experience has taught us that there is no such thing as a “perfect” house – something will always require attention. The reports we provide are to ensure that our clients have an understanding of the home beyond the cosmetic features and a basic understanding of the mechanics of the property.
Dale Finnessy can be reached at 780-465-5620,GPIEdmonton@shaw.ca, www.gpiweb.ca/finnessy
