If Your Home Is up for Sale, How Can You Make It Ready for an Inspection?

If Your Home Is up for Sale, How Can You Make It Ready for an Inspection?

If Your Home Is up for Sale, How Can You Make It Ready for an Inspection?

12 August 2022
 Categories:
Construction & Contractors, Blog


If you've been living in your current property for quite some time and are preparing to put it on the market, you'll want to get a good price so you can move into something else. You'll also want to make the process as seamless as possible for you and the potential buyer. Clearly, you will want it to pass a property inspection the first time, but you may not know what to expect. So, to help you get things ready, what's the building inspector likely to look at?

Outdoor Preparation

Starting with the exterior, look around your foundation. If you have a lot of foliage in this area, you should cut it back and keep a passage between any plants and your property wall. Also, ensure that the soil near the foundation is sloping away from the property and not to it to allow for the proper run-off. If you can see any cracks in the foundation, you need to address those as well. Now, look carefully at the doors and windows and see if there are any gaps due to weathering. If so, you will need to caulk those and ensure that each door and window opens and closes as it should. If there are any damaged bug screens, you should replace them.

Interior Condition

Moving inside, look at the condition of the walls and ceilings for any signs of cracks. Sometimes these can point to subsidence, and this is an issue that you should get addressed before you put your home on the market. If you have any vents in kitchens and bathrooms, make sure that their passageways are clear and that they don't simply vent into the attic area.

Electrical

When it comes to electrical work, you should have GFCI receptacles in "wet" areas like bathrooms and kitchens. These are required in new homes but not necessarily in older properties, and you might want to check the regulations in your area first. If there are any broken socket covers, they will need to be replaced.

Plumbing and HVAC

Check for any plumbing leaks, dripping taps or clogged or slow drains. As far as HVAC is concerned, you should have a new filter installed, clean the vents and keep the area around the furnace free of clutter. Ideally, the entire HVAC system should be cleaned professionally ahead of time.

Getting Your Home Checked

These are some of the key focus areas during a home inspection, but it's not a comprehensive list. It may be best for you to bring in a contractor with experience in this area first, so they can carry out any repairs as necessary, and you will be ready for your first prospect. 

For more information, contact a local company that offers building inspection services

About Me
Planning Contractors and Construction Work

If you are planning to carry out construction work on the interior or exterior of your home, you should first take professional advice. My home is located on quite a steep hill and I decided that I would like to build an extension. Not only would this involve digging a new foundation, it would also involve backfilling some areas of land so the new extension would be properly supported. I decided to call my friend who works as a contractor for a construction company. He offered me lots of great advice and thanks to him the job was a complete success.

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