How To Prepare Your Home For A Building Inspection

Congratulations - you’ve had an offer on your home and papers are being signed! But wait…

…before the you pop the cork on the champagne, chances are you’ve been asked for a building inspection report – something that could make or break the deal.

Most offers have a building inspection clause included, which means that if the buyers aren’t happy with the results of the report, they can retract the offer, or bring you back to the negotiating table.

Therefore, it’s important to prepare your home the best you can and if the report highlights any concerns will always offer a positive and practical way forward, so the celebratory champagne can come out!

Clean

The first impression of your home should always be a good impression, particular when the sale of your house is dependent on it. Often the potential purchasers choose to attend the property inspection to have the opportunity to ask questions. While it may sound obvious, you’d be surprised how often it’s overlooked. So it pays to give everything a dust off to ensure it’s looking spic and span, if you’ve recently had an open home this shouldn’t be too labour intensive.

Make sure everything works

The inspector will need to turn everything on and off; heat pump, smoke alarms, ovens, air conditioning, windows, the list goes on. Make sure your utilities are left on and double check that light bulbs don’t need replacing etc., as sort of thing may affect the report. Sometimes it’s easier for a friend to do this because they don’t know all the tricks of your home that you might have adapted to.

Easy Access

Everything on your property will get the once over, even the places you don’t use much like the attic, garage or basement. Ensure these areas aren’t cluttered and are easy to access, or the keys are handy if needed!

The Paperwork

If renovations, remodelling, insurance claims or maintenance have been done, it’s best to have the pertaining documentation handy to provide the inspector greater knowledge of the property, and prove you’ve taken care of the problem correctly.

Do you need to be home?

While it’s not obligatory for you to not be there, we’d suggested you leave the house for a few hours, and take your pets with you if possible. This way the potential new homeowners, who often attend the building inspection, will feel more comfortable and can learn about the house without being disturbed, all in all, helping support the sale. But it is still your home, so if you’d rather stay you can.

Taking some time to prepare your home for the inspection could save time during the inspection, but also help prevent some unwanted surprises. Naturally, buyers want to know exactly what they are buying and the inspection will provide detailed information and, hopefully, give them the confidence to go ahead with the sale.

If your home is about to be inspected and you’re unsure about a few things, feel free to give us a call! We are always here to offer ongoing support when it comes to maintaining your home, and will talk you through any elements of the reports that may cause concern and will always offer a positive and practical way forward.

If the report reveals that everything is as it should be, pop the champagne on ice in preparation for the celebration of that sold sticker!