Seller Inspections

Inspections for sellers, sometimes called "pre sale inspections", are for those individuals who plan to put their home on the market in the next four to six month time frame. The inspector works for the seller and reports on the condition of the home to be sold. The report details major and minor deficiencies that might be discovered by the buyers inspector. This gives the seller time to complete repairs prior to placing the home on the market. With deficiencies corrected, the seller realizes a higher net gain from the sale.

How to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Follow this handy guide and do as many items as you need/want to. Many do not cost anything! You will be surprised what a difference this makes.

INTERIOR:

1. Have as much light as possible in habitable areas of the house: I.e. open blinds, drapes, and other window dressings, insure light fixtures have high wattage bulbs, ornaments should be removed from windows, and trim any shrubbery or tree that is blocking light from entering through windows.
2. Clean windows inside and out.
3. Check that all storm windows and screens are in place or accounted for.
4. Repair torn or damaged window screens.
5. Ensure all doors and windows operate without difficulty. Tighten door and window hardware. Make sure windows are operable and slide easily and stay open.
6. Replace broken or cracked window glass including insulated windows that have lost the gas seal.
7. Remove clutter, trash, and excess furniture from the interior. Minimize quantity of stored possessions; clean out and discard items no longer needed.
8. Repair any damaged areas in walls and ceilings.
9. Ensure that fans, lights, and switches operate properly.
10. If cracks or mildew have occurred on the tub or shower stall caulking remove the old caulking and reseal with a quality caulk.
11. Ensure that drains empty water from their basin at a rate fast enough that there is no danger of overflowing. Check that sink and tub drain valves operate properly.
12. Check that faucets and plumbing fixtures operate properly and do not leak.
13. Clean ventilation filters in kitchen hood vent, microwave, bathrooms, etc.
14. Replace damaged floor tile.
15. Clean and wax floors; sand and refinish if necessary.
16. A home inspector needs to access the attic. Clear personal belongings away from scuttle hole entrances in closets, attic stairs, etc. The shelf, hangar rod and floor below should all be free for the inspector to place a step ladder inside the closet and enter the attic space above.
17. Make sure all kitchen appliances are operating and clean.
18. Consolidate appliance manuals, warranties and house receipts into one folder to pass on. 19. If available, assemble items useful to the next owner, i.e., Architectural drawings, receipts for major work such as new addition, kitchen upgrade, or new roof.

EXTERIOR AND GROUNDS

1. Clean the garage and remove stored items that give an untidy impression.
2. Clean the gutters and make sure down spouts and/or splash blocks are extended away from the foundation.
3. Replace rotten wood in trim, siding, windowsills, decks, steps, rails, structural members, and wood decay found elsewhere,
4. Scrape and paint exterior trim in need of painting. The safest color is white. Use quality paint and apply at least two coats.
5. Point-up any loose mortared joints on retaining walls, foundation walls, chimneys, inside fireplaces, exterior steps, or wherever masonry is used.
6. Trim trees and shrubbery away from exterior walls for light and to prevent roof or siding damage. This also allows air circulation in constantly shaded areas that are susceptible to rot and mildew. Trim any tree limbs or branches that touch overhead electric wires.
7. Clean trash and broken equipment from the yard. The best yard will be well drained with lush green grass with minimum bare spots.
8. Earth around the foundation perimeter naturally settles or erodes in time. We recommend that all places adjacent to the house where water stands be filled with a compactable soil and graded to give a minimum slope of one inch per foot extending four to six feet away from the foundation.
9. Remove grass, shrubbery and storage within a distance of three feet from the outside HVAC compressor/condenser unit. Clean ingested grass and airborne pollen from the condenser coils.

BASEMENT AND CRAWL SPACES

1. Ensure the basement and crawl spaces are dry and any evidence of past water has been removed. Once the source of dampness has been corrected, dry the basement with a dehumidifier. If the dehumidifier drains continuously by hose, make sure the hose is not kinked and that it discharges to the sump pump.
2. If at all possible make sure basement foundation walls are visible. (Move stored items to the center)
3. Keep boxes and combustible materials away from the furnace and water heater. We suggest a distance of three feet in all directions. This is another area the home inspector needs to gain access for inspection.
4. Do not hang clothes or other items from plumbing, electrical wires or flues.
5. If there is a sump pump, ensure the pit is free from debris; the pump is operating, and is equipped with a pit cover.
6. If there is a floor drain, check that water is in the trap, it flows properly, and no sewage odors are backing up into the basement.
7. Check that there are no leaks at any waste or service plumbing line or appliance.
8. Check that basement windows operate properly. Clean windows.
9. Have a well-lighted basement. (Base of stairs; near equipment such as furnace, water heater and electric panel; general areas)
10. For crawl spaces insure access, good ventilation, a vapor barrier (plastic or concrete slab) is covering dirt floors, and insulation is not falling.
11. Clean debris from crawl spaces and make sure electrical wiring is secured to the floor joists or posts.
12. Make sure clothes dryers are vented to outside. If a dryer has been allowed to vent to the inside and lint is on the walls and other surfaces, have the lint removed.
13. Have the heating systems cleaned and inspected. The presence of a service sticker on the furnace cabinet lets the buyer know the system has been cared for.
14. Make sure HVAC condensate lines flow freely and empty into the storm sewer, sump pump, below the basement floor or to the outside. This item is recommended as normal annual maintenance.
15. Place a clean filter in the heating system ductwork if so equipped.
16. Clean and service the humidifier.
17. Check that furnace and hot water heater flues are connected securely, correctly pitched, and there is nothing combustible within several feet.
18. Check that all mechanical systems are in working condition. For example, homeowner accessible controls (i.e. thermostat) should cause the equipment to operate.
19. Check that electrical switches work properly and that junction boxes, outlets, and switches each have a cover plate.
20. Check operation of smoke detectors using the test button. It is recommended to have one smoke detector on each floor, one in each bedroom, and one outside each sleeping area within 10 feet. Install a fresh battery if so equipped.
21. Ensure access to electrical distribution panel box. (Recommended clearance space for panel is 30 inches wide, 36 inches in front of, and 7 feet 6 inches high) Clear away stored items so the inspector has access to panel.
22. Ensure all electrical wiring is properly supported and no open wire connections are present.

Schedule maintenance work well in advance so you have ample time to accomplish repair items prior to placing your home on the market. If desired, have a home inspection performed for the seller (Sellers Inspection) to identify major issues that might need to be addressed before the home is listed.

Beware the home that lies in ruins, be sure to call inspector Bruins!