How to Prepare for the Home Inspector

1. Provide Access to the Entire Home (Interior and Exterior)
2. Clean up Personal Items
3. Leave the Utilities On
4. Take Fido to the Park
5. Take Yourself to the Park

The front door of your home will need to be unlocked for complete access to your home. Also think about other potential locks, door codes and access points that are not immediately obvious to other people like your Home Inspector.

When the Inspector cannot enter a crawl-space because there is a refrigerator in the way or if there is a security fence in the backyard without a key, the inspection will not be able to be completed on time.

It is very important to let the home inspector know of any active home security codes as well. Your realtor agent can help you pass this information along. Read about what areas are going to be inspected here.

Are you currently living in the home that needs to be inspected? If so it’s important to pick up your personal belongings so that the inspector can do their job.

Home inspectors will not move personal items in order to inspect areas of the home. Leaving personal items in the way can impede an inspector’s view, and they will have to make note of that.

To avoid unnecessary delays due to personal items, clean and organize a your home for full access to required areas. Make sure there is a pathway to all major systems (Furnace, Air Conditioner, Electrical Panels, Under-sink Cabinets). Move any clothing in the way within a closet that has access to the attic. Even simple things like taking out children’s toys from the bath tub is important. Allow entry into the crawl-space and attic. You get the general idea.

Unless there are preexisting safety concerns or a licensed professional has turned them off, the utilities should be left on as usual. Leaving the utilities on allows the home inspector to test each major component within the home. If the home has been vacant for an extended period of time and the utilities cannot be turned on, make sure all parties are aware of it prior to the inspection.

We know, we know…Fido is the sweetest Great Dane that has ever lived and he would never attack a guest. That’s great and all, but Fido may feel threatened by an unfamiliar inspector who looks different, is poking around the food dish and is stepping on his favorite squeaky toy is actually NOT welcome today. It’s an awkward situation for the inspector, and for Fido. Make plans to keep the pooch outside when the inspector is inside, or vise versa.

Although we are “Pet Friendly” home inspectors, and your pet snake is very cool, please keep him in the cage today….locked!

(or the mall, coffee shop or some other location). Obviously it is your home and your choice, but there isn’t much point in staying around the house while the inspection is taking place.

At Green Door Home Inspections our goal is to meet the owner at the scheduled time for a handshake and to discuss anything that has not already been discussed and then send you on your way. If you would like, just let us know and we can give you a quick call or text when we are finishing up.

Should you decide to stay throughout the inspection, please, give us a little breathing space to do our job. This is not the time to discuss concerns with your home, brag about paint colors, or to showoff your doll collection. These inspections can take a lot of time and we have other clients to serve, let us get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible.