So you’ve listed your home, found a buyer, and accepted an offer. Congratulations! You’re almost closing the sale, but you still have to make it through the home inspection before you start packing. The home inspection process can be nerve-racking for a seller. You don’t want the deal to fall through, be stuck with the cost of major repairs, or lower the price to account for repairs. With that in mind, it’s important to show your home in the best possible light and have the inspection go as smoothly as possible. Our real estate agents provide tips for how you can get ready for a Home Inspection in Lincoln.
- Work With Your Real Estate Agent Depending on how many houses you’ve sold before, you may have little to no experience with home inspection preparations and negotiations. Now is the time to trust your agent to help you navigate the process. Your real estate agent can explain how the home inspection works, help you understand the types of home maintenance problems that are common in your area, develop a plan for repair requests, determine whether you’re in a seller’s or buyer’s market, and help you with negotiations based on the findings.
- Keep the House in Showing Condition
It’s quite tempting to let things build up after accepting an offer. Maybe your upcoming move is getting in the way of keeping a clean and decluttered house. But do your best to tidy up every room before the inspector comes by. You’re not doing this to impress the inspector, but you’ll make their job quick and easy. You’ll also be making sure that the inspector will write a report on the actual condition of your home instead of marking something for replacement or repair because it’s dirty, dusty, and grimy. - Spruce Up the Outside
The home inspector will notice your home’s condition at first-sight and derive a positive or negative impression from it. Start by looking at your home’s exterior with a critical eye for anything that shows signs of neglect and the need for repairs. Look for missing shingles, clean your gutters, mow the lawn, prune and weed any landscaping, clean your siding. You can repair minor things like disconnected gutters, loose steps, and rotted trim. - Get Your Interior Ready
At its core, the main aim of a home inspection is to verify that major mechanicals and systems in your home are in working order. Take the time to check your electrical outlets, light switches, plumbing elements, and HVAC systems. You’ll also want to ensure there are no stains on your ceiling, no cracks in your walls, and all windows and doors are in good condition. If you have obvious problems like drippy faucets, burned-out light fixtures, sticky door handles, leaky toilet fill valves, or dirty furnace filters, you want to fix them preemptively. - Remove Obstructions
Inspectors should be able to easily access all the areas that need to be inspected. If your home is cluttered or have stuff piled up around major components of the home, don’t expect the inspector to move that stuff. If they can’t reach it, they can’t inspect. And that’s not going to reflect well in the inspection report. You want to declutter and remove obstructions to give the inspector clear access to all areas. - Be Prepared to Get Out of the House
Buyers and buyer’s agents usually accompany the inspector during the assessment. They may feel uncomfortable asking questions when you’re within earshot. They may also think that you’re trying to hide something or create a distraction if you keep following them around. And for you, watching the inspection process may become needlessly tense and stressful. Your best bet is to stay out until the inspection is complete. And remember to take your furry companions with you.
