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New: Four Smart Ways to Prepare for a Home Inspection

Posted on May 30, 2018


A good home inspection should provide you with information about a home’s current condition. The inspector’s job is to do a general analysis of the entire home, not go over the home with a fine tooth comb. If something looks like it needs further investigation, the inspector will recommend hiring a specialist, or contractor. The inspector will also provide a general timeline of the lifespan left on the home’s major systems, providing you with information about future upkeep for the home.

To connect with a quality agent, get in touch with Pickett Street today (info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397). Additionally, to help you make sure you get the most out of your home inspections, here are a few tips.

For Buyers:

1.  Research your home inspector.

As a millennial, I can’t buy anything these days without obsessively reading reviews online. For example, I just spent 30 minutes researching backyard doggie pools on Amazon. While I might be taking consumer research to the extreme in this particular instance, finding a good home inspector definitely requires careful research.

Here are a few questions to keep in mind when researching your home inspector:

  • How long have they been inspecting homes?
  • How many inspections have they performed?
  • What are their qualifications, certifications, and training?
  • What was their job before becoming a home inspector? (Ideally, they were in contracting or building.)

2. Be there for the inspection.
You aren’t usually required to attend the home inspection for the home you’re interested in buying. However, it’s a good idea to be there anyway. This will allow you to ask any last-minute questions as they arise (“Say, is that exposed bundle of wires supposed to be hanging over the shower?”).

Also, according to the Seattle Times, any time a home inspector doesn’t let you follow them around during the home inspection “is weird.” Buyers should feel encouraged to ask all the questions they want during this process. Which leads me to another point: don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to ask.

3. Read the inspection report.

We get that it’s not the most riveting reading material out there. But do it anyway. Your home inspector should be able to use clear, concise language in his report so that it’s easily understandable.

For Sellers:

4. Prepare your home for inspection.

Don’t force a home inspector to dig their way through your cluttered closets in order to locate electrical panels or crawl spaces. Prepping your home will also help you avoid additional inspections later on. Here are a few things to keep in mind while tidying up:

  • Make sure all the areas in your home, including closets, are accessible.
  • Make sure that the inspector has keys to any locked utility sheds, closets, basements, and other areas.
  • Make sure each floor has a CO detector and the water tank needs to have 2 seismic straps to pass inspection.

Additionally, preparing your home can mean checking it over on your own before the inspector arrives. This way, you are better prepared to bring up any concerns or questions with the home inspector. Real estate experts at Zillow suggest that you take note of your home’s plumbing, appliances, heating and cooling systems, foundation, roof, exterior, and lot. You should also be sure to check your home’s interior for any evidence of water leaks–many common problems that home inspections discover arise from issues with water damage, including rot and mold.


For more tips on home inspection or to receive help buying and selling your home, contact Pickett Street at 
info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397.

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