The most important thing you can do to prepare your home for an inspection is make sure all areas of the home are easily accessed by the home inspector. Most insurance carriers, including ours, do not allow inspectors or their clients to move the occupant’s belongings. If the inspector cannot gain access to a particular area or system of the house, that portion of the inspection can not be performed. This generally makes home buyers uneasy because the inspector is not able to give them complete information on the home they are purchasing.
Some of the areas that are commonly not accessible are:
- Attic entrance
- Electric panel
- Under sinks
- Garage
- Crawl space
Don’t leave anything to the buyer’s imagination.
Some other good ideas are to make sure light bulbs are not burned out in fixtures. If the light switch is turned on and the light doesn’t work, it cannot be assumed that the light bulb is burned out. You may also want to check smoke detectors for proper operation and make sure fresh batteries are installed.
Speaking of smoke detectors, did you know there is a law in Illinois that requires the installation of CO detectors? If there is not a CO detector within 15’ of sleeping areas, you should install one.
Paying attention to the details of your home will make the inspection go much smoother.
