How to Prepare for an Inspection

The offer has been accepted, and an inspector has been hired. Now what?

For home buyers, plan to ask your agent 3 additional questions and then plan to meet your inspector:

1) Ask your agent to call the listing agent to confirm that:

a) All utilities are indeed on. If they are not, your agent can have them turned on for a day.

b) The electrical panel, water main and gas meter are indeed unlocked by the utility companies and/or the city. Just because someone’s paying for the utilities does not mean that they are unlocked so an inspector can turn on the water and gas, and check the panel. It would cost you another $200 to have the inspector revisit the property to properly check electrical and appliances.

c) They will be there or will send a representative to let the inspector into the interior of the home via a lockbox key.

2) Plan to accompany your inspector -- or at least attend the last half hour of the inspection.

This is so you can become familiar with the home and its systems as well as exactly what repairs the inspector recommends and why. You might also want to prepare a list of items that you’ve seen in the home that you feel are cause for concern as well as any questions you may have. And the inspection is a great time to find out where the home’s water and gas shutoffs are and where the fuse box is.

Your inspector should be happy to remain on-site and address all of your questions in plain English, not construction-speak, and should have a down-to-earth approach that doesn’t scare you.

How to estimate your arrival time: A terrific inspection process typically takes about 1 hour for every 1,000 feet of non-occupied living space (not lot size). So if your home is 1,500 square feet, and is vacant, then your inspector should be on-site for at least 2 hours from the start time.

Also be prepared to sign contracts and make payment on-site so that your report can be released to you.

For home sellers, remember M.A.H.:

1) Maintenance: Have licensed contractors who are up-to-speed on building codes evaluate and properly repair your roof, furnace, A/C, water heater, electrical and plumbing. You can assist by replacing missing door handles and hardware, replacing cracked fauccet handles, replacing torn or missing window screens, etc.

2) Accessibility: Ensure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially to the attic and crawlspace. It’s also a good idea to trim any trees and shrubs that may make an inspection of the exterior of the property difficult.

3) Housekeeping: A great inspector will take dozens of photos your home for the inspection report, including items that are in closets and attics, but inspectors are not allowed to move personal belongings in order to test/check/inspect. Clearing the items that are stored inside ovens, dishwashers, furnaces and water heater closets, garages, and under every sink, and moving all vehicles from the front of the home will accelerate the inspection process and reduce the possibility of delays in the close of escrow.

For buyers and sellers: after an inspection, another sign of a quality is when the inspector turns in the hand-written report, photos and captions to another qualified individual at the "home office" for quality assurance and quality control. It’s frustrating and confusing to receive an emailed inspection report that's chock-full of mistakes, omissions, spelling errors, and without ratings (e.g., health & safety repair needed prior to close of escrow, have repaired by a licensed contractor, etc.) and without photo captions. Ensure that the inspection company takes these extra quality measures on your behalf so you receive a legible, thorough report.