You finally got a potential buyer that has an interest in purchasing your home. This doesn’t mean that your work is done and that you can now sit back and wait for the purchase to finalize. There remains oneessential thing that you should do. And, every home seller’s worst nightmare. A home inspection. 

A home inspection can normally make or break a home sale. It’s important to ensure that you know as much about a home inspection as possible. There are even some things in and around your home that you can repair before the home inspection starts. 

Are you require to have a home inspector visiting your home before selling your home?

Unfortunately, yes, you do need to have a home inspector visiting your home before you can continue with the sale. A potential buyer wants to know if the home that they are purchasing is value for money. Or, if they are going to buy something that is going to costs them a huge sum of money to get repaired.

In some states it is mandatory, and you can’t get around it. For those where it isn’t mandatory, it is still recommended. This is a way to showthe buyer that the home is in good condition. 

What will be the home inspector looks for? 

If you think that there is a part of your home that the inspector will skip, then you should think again. The home inspector is literally looking at everything in and around your home. Every corner of your home, inside and out. If you thought that you could have hidden a flaw in the home, then you are mistaken. 

The inspector is looking at things like:

The grounds

They will be looking at standing water, trees that might be sick or dying. And, even crumbling paths and walls. If you have a fence around your home, he will look at that as well.

The structure

The structure of your home. Inside and outside. He will look for cracks, the window frames, and door frames. 

The roof

He will be looking at shingles, the roof itself and for any possible water damage. Any defects will be reported. 

Plumbing

The whole home’s plumbing will be inspected. For water leaks, hot water heater for defects and for rust, and any drain flow problems

Kitchen

In the kitchen, he is looking for leaks under the sink and for proper ventilation. He will also look at the gas stove for gas leaks. The cabinets and drawers are looked for any defects there.

Bathroom. In the bathroom, the inspector will look for water leaks. He will make sure that the toilet is flushing normally. He will also look at the shower spray and taps to make sure that it is secure properly. 

What common home repairs should you do, before the home inspection starts

You want to make sure that the home inspection is going according to plan, and that the inspector doesn’t find many defects and problems in and around your home. Is there any way that you can do some maintenance before the arrival of the inspector to ensure that the report is positive?

The good news is that there are a couple of common home repairs that you can do before the inspector arrives. In fact, it is recommended that you are looking at these faults before you put your home up for sale. These are common maintenance problems but can make a huge difference in the inspector’s report.• 

• Give the exterior of your home a power wash. This will make sure that your home is clean from the outside. You will be surprised what a power wash can do to the exterior of your home.
• Take some care in your garden. Make sure that the lawn is cut, the dead branches are cut away, and that your fence is in perfect condition.
• Go through your plumbing. Make sure that there aren’t any water leaks that can be repaired. You can also inspect the hot water heater, for any leaks and faults. If there is rust on the heater, it normally means that there is a leak somewhere.
• In the kitchen, open each cabinet and make sure that all the doors and handles are tight and that the doors are opening easily.
• You should also make sure that all the taps in your home don’t leak and that the toilet is working perfectly.
• If you know that there is something in the home, that can give negative feedback from the home inspection, don’t hope that the inspector won’t sees it. Rather prepare it beforehand and secure your sale. 

Preparing for your home inspection

You have gone through your home and did all the small repairs and maintenance needed. Is there anything else that you should look at, before your home inspections? How are you going to prepare for your home inspection?

You should make sure that you declutter your home. You want the home inspector to get access to all areas of the home without any problems. If you think that he will leave the attic, because the door is cluttered, then you are mistaken. You will make the whole process just longer. 

Give complete access to your home. Make sure that all locked doors are unlocked. This includes the garage door and gates. He needs to gain access to everything thing. 

Some people are saying that it is better if you leave your home so that the inspector can work. It can be nerve-wracking to see how he is going through the home and checking every little thing. 

The home inspection is done. What’s next?

The home inspection is done. Now what? You will get a report about the things that are wrong in and around your home. You have the option to correct it before the purchase is going ahead. 

The same report will also go to the potential buyer. The buyer has the right to see what is wrong with the home and if he is still interested in purchasing the home. The buyer will also get notified if you decide to correct some of the faults in the home.

With a home on the market, getting it sold, isn’t the hardest part. The hardest part is normally the home inspection. This will mean the difference in getting the home sold or struggling to repair problems before you can sell the home. The more information you have about common home repairs to make home inspections before the inspector arrives, the easier the process will be. And, your home will be sold in no time.