Prepare for your home to be inspected prior to the sale.
Home buyers don’t like surprises.
Hiding from the truth can sometimes help you sell your home more quickly. Just remember, if you do this you can expect TROUBLE down the road. If your house has cracks and obvious repairs to the exterior and interior surfaces, and you decide to sell your home, and if you conceal these signs of structural movement, you may be setting yourself up for disastrous consequences. The same forces that caused the cracks and other damage to your house in the first place, are most likely still impacting your home. The damages will most likely re-appear. Trying to conceal or hide these facts sets the stage for lawsuits.
How can you, as a seller, reduce your risk? Be in control of the process?
Prospective buyers will ask for a professional inspection of your home. For most mortgages it is a requirement. When a homeowner sells his/her home, the greatest risk of a buyer filing a lawsuit against the seller, is when the buyer moves into the home and discovers undisclosed defects. This should emphasize to you, the seller, that the most thorough inspector available to the buyer, is the inspector you want your buyer hiring as their inspector, as their discoverer of defects in your home. A thorough inspector, working for your buyer, is actually reducing your risk of being sued after you sell your home. A thorough inspector may result in you being required to complete more repairs to your home, or re-negotiate the price of your home, however, this ‘up-front’ cost is miniscule in comparison to the cost of being sued.
Following the guideline below will help speed up the sale of your home.
HOMEOWNER CHECKLIST
Necessities
The home should be cleaned and clutter removed (inside and out). Have keys available to make areas accessible to inspector.
Access
All areas of the home must be accessible including utility room areas, garages, electric panels, crawl space and attic access. Items near electrical outlets need to be moved. The car or pets should not be in the garage.
Exterior Doors
All exterior doors should be made accessible. Be sure all door locks are working and keys are available to the inspector.
Attic Doors
Make sure the attic door can be pulled down without endangering your belongings, especially those on the floor or in the garage.
Interior Doors
All areas of the home must be accessible including the utility room and garage areas.
Windows
Windows, and sills, should be clean. Windows can be mistaken to be defective when dirty. The inspector should be able to open and lock them. If you have bars on the windows, make sure the keys arae available to the inspector.
Electrical
Remove any decorative wall hangings covering the electric service panel so the inspector can find it. He will want to remove the cover to examine the electrical wiring. Be sure that the panel is accessible. and the cover can be readily removed.
Plumbing
If you have a leak, please have it fixed before the inspector arrives, or let the inspector know. Otherwise he will be functionally testing the plumbing and could end up with a very wet mess.
Heating and Air Conditioning
Make sure the air filter is clean to ensure a maximum air flow.
Pets
Pets should be removed from the premises or placed in a secured area. Keep in mind the garage will not be a good idea, as the inspector will need access to the entire home.
Utilities
Replace any burnt out Light Bulbs. All the utilities need to be on so the inspector can do a through inspection. This includes electricity, water and gas. Be sure to keep all pilot lights turned on.
Foundation
Remove any wood, debris or stored items away from the foundation. Otherwise, it can be an conducive condition on the termite report.