Selling your home can be a real challenge. There are so many things you have to do to find a buyer with whom you can agree on the price. And when you have found that person and think you are at the end of your journey, you are presented with the Offer to Purchase Conditions which are usually. 1 Subject to Finance and 2. A Home Inspection.
Home inspections have become a standard part of the home buying process and most buyers will not complete a purchase without one especially with hight interest rates and buyers limited ability to get additional funding for unexpected repairs of home systems for failure of appliance or HVAC and hot water heaters.
Inspections are objective, in-depth checks of the house’s major components and systems, from the attic to the basement. A qualified, licensed, and insured home inspector performs the inspection and writes up a comprehensive report of their findings.
Findings from the home inspectors don’t kill offers; the state of the house does. When presented systematically, it is up to the buyer to decide whether they should negotiate for repairs before closing, make pricing allowances so they can do the repairs after closing, or walk away.
British Columbia now has s a 72-hourBuyer Protection Program where if the client walks away, they pay $250/$100,000 and have 72 hours to get a Home Inspection.
During the home inspection phase, most of the decision goes to the buyer. It can be difficult for sellers because they have little control over how this process turns out. There are ways to reduce anxiety during the home inspection.
You must ensure that the inspector has easy access to every area of your home. As Leenan Management explains, any area of the home that is not assessed will not be scored. If an area is not scored, the sales could be stalled and you may have to pay to have a secondary inspection done.
Here are the steps to prepare for a home inspection.
1. Enact all necessary repairs
You may have to arrange an inspection of your property to help you detect all hidden problems. Things that need to be repaired should be fixed and for those that you don’t want to fix, prepare to negotiate with buyers. Repairs that must be done are:
- Unclogging blocked drains
- Fixing broken and cracked windows
- Replacing missing shingles
- Fixing any water damage to the home
- Repairing insulation, particularly, in the attic and crawlspaces
- Do a thorough extermination of bugs, rodents, and pests
2. Create an attractive exterior
The home inspector is only going to report objective facts, and will rank findings in 3 levels of severity from maintenance, repair or replace and major issue of safety needing immediate correction.
. Here are some things you can do:
- Remove all debris from the roof and clean the gutters
- Trim tree branches away from the roofline
- Examine chimney entry lines
- Remove piles of rubbish and abandoned items from the yard
- Create up to two feet of space around the home’s perimeter
- Check that downspouts are properly diverting water away from the roof and walls
- Make sure the soil slopes away from the home to prevent water pooling around the basement
- Check the operation of various things in the home
- Check the operation of various things in the home
Do a visual inspection and check the function of:
- Doors and windows – make sure locks and seals are as functioning as expected. Also, check the weather stripping on doors.
- Run the water in the whole house to check the water pressure
- Check faucets, flush toilets, and that all drains are working
- Test light switches, check power outlets, run ceiling fans, and replace burnt out light bulbs
- Test the operation of garage door openers, especially the reverse safety mechanism
- Inspect heating ducts in the crawl space and attic fan ducts to make sure they are working
- Use the self-test feature to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if necessary
- Check that the fire extinguisher is in order
- Check that the pilot lights for gas-fired appliances such as furnaces and water heaters are on.
- Ensure accessibility
- Keep the keys for electrical boxes and panels on the dining table with clear instructions for accessing them. Also leave keys to gates, outbuildings, and anything that is locked.
- Leave explanations or drawings that will help the inspector locate the well or septic tank
- If the attic or basement is used for storage, clear them away or create room to allow the inspector to check all systems and equipment in those places
- Ensure there is space around appliances, clean out the stove and oven, remove all laundry from the washer and dryer, as well out away the dishes from the dishwasher
- Do not turn off the utilities as the inspector needs to run the water, check electricity/gas, and other things
- Leave all remote controls such as for the garage doors, ceiling fans, etc.
- Welcome the inspector
On the day of the inspection, be ready and waiting with your estate agent. Welcome the home inspector and buyer to your home. Hand over the home’s maintenance records to the buyer and leave the two of them in the care of your estate agent. Take your pets and leave your home while the inspection is ongoing.
There you have it, tips on how to get ready for a home inspection.
Author :
Liam Watson
p: 306.994.5475
Editor:
Adam
