Recommended Tips on How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

Because Home Inspectors cannot and will not move personal belongings, proper preparation is critical to ensure the best possible inspection.  Honor Services does send a video to listing agents to share with their sellers on how to prepare for a home inspection.  However, for various reasons sometimes a home is not prepared.

We recommend speaking with your professional Realtor® to ensure they have confirmed with the listing agent that the home is ready for inspection.  Specifically, confirmation of the following should be obtained:

• The inspector should have unimpeded access to not only to the main structure, but also any additional structures to be inspected such as sheds, detached garages or roofs that need keys to be accessed.  If the structure has a crawl space, access should be freely accessible as the inspector will not be able to remove any access panels on site.  If the crawl space has been used for storage, items should be removed to ensure the inspector can see structural blocks and tie downs.
• HVAC equipment, electric service panels, and water heaters, should be easily accessible.  Oftentimes,  these items are located in garage spaces and behind several boxes, fishing poles, or other personal storage.
• All attic access points/ladders  should be readily accessible.  This could involve moving shelving, vehicles in garages or screwed shut access panels that should be removed before the time of the inspection.
• Locks to fences should be removed for easy foot access around the structure
• All utilities should be on including water, electricity and gas.  Valves and Breakers should also be on for all functioning fixtures and appliances
• Pets can remain on the property.  However, pets that have a tendency to “escape” or are not friendly to strangers, should be removed for the duration of the inspection to ensure their safety and that of the inspectors.
• We recommend replacing burned-out bulbs to avoid a “light did not operate” statement in the report that could suggest an electrical problem.
• We recommend removing stored items, debris and wood from the foundation. These could  be cited as conditions conducive to wood-destroying insects.
• If the home had aluminum wiring the seller should be prepared to provide a letter to prove that proper remediation has occurred.  This letter should include:  The electrician’s company name and contact information, license number, remediation method (rewire or alumiconn connectors), the address of the property and the electrician’s signature.
• If the seller states the home has shutters or will qualify for shutter credit, all documentation regarding impact rated windows, doors, garage doors or shutters should be readily available.  This will ensure the inspector can properly complete your wind mitigation inspection. (FL Form 1802)
• Additionally, sellers may want to attend to broken or missing items such as doorknobs, locks and latches, window panes, screens and locks, and gutters, downspouts and chimney caps.