Make Sure Your Home is Ready for Buyer Inspection and Appraisal
If you’ve reached agreement with a buyer on your home, the buyer will want to schedule a home inspection and appraisal. Most buyers prefer to schedule a pest inspection to get an idea of house condition and for the yard or garden to get the wildlife away with Critter Detective raccoon and bat removal.
To prepare for a professional home inspector and appraisal, here is a checklist provided by the California Real Estate Inspection Association, which certifies home inspectors and provides guidelines and a code of ethics.
1. Utilities: All of your services must be on so that the home inspector can test power outlets, appliances, heating and air conditioning, water pressure, etc.
The appraiser also may need to test the HVAC equipment, depending on the buyer’s mortgage program.
If your home has natural gas or propane appliances, make sure the pilot lights are lit.
2. Access: The inspector will need to get inside all rooms, exterior buildings, the attic and the basement (if applicable). Make sure all areas are unlocked or keys are provided.
Attics should be free of clothing or stored items. If your home has a crawl space, make sure the openings are clear and not nailed in place.
Don’t forget about padlocks on such areas as gates, electrical panels and storage areas.
An appraiser must measure all rooms of the property as well.
And if you have agreed to an appointment to let someone in the home, make sure you or your agent is there a few minutes early.
3. Elbow Room: Inspectors and appraisers will not move your furniture or other items to inspect walls, appliances, water heater, pool equipment or HVAC systems. So make sure there is sufficient work space around these items – 3 feet diameter should do it.
Take all dishes out of the dishwasher, oven and microwave so that they can be operated.
All sinks, showers and bathtubs should be free of clothing and personal items.
4. Secure Pets: If you have unsecured pets, you should either secure them or make arrangements for them to be out of the home for a few hours.
5. Make Yourself Scarce: During the home inspection, the buyers and buyer agents will want some private time in the house for candid conversations and diligence. Home inspections range from two to three hours, depending on the size of the property. So, go catch a movie and then have lunch, because the buyer won’t want you there during that time.
The appraiser will be in and out in 10 to 15 minutes, and their job is more matter-of-fact. They are there to measure rooms and make sure that there are no health-and-safety issues, on behalf of the lender. So, you can hang around for that if you like.
Thinking about selling your home? Need a referral to a certified home inspector? Call us today at 951-778-9700 or use the form below for a 10-minute consultation.
Illustrations courtesy of Stuart Miles, smarnad, Salvatore Vuono | freedigitalphotos.net (Hover over photo for credit and link).
Contact Form
We would love to hear from you! Please fill out this form and we will get in touch with you shortly.
Prepare for Home Inspection | Selling Home in Riverside CA | How to Sell a Home | Riverside Real Estate Agents | Brian Bean and Tim Hardin Dream Big