At S.P.T. Home Services LLC, we know how stressful a home inspection can be when it’s your house being inspected. Especially if you’ve owned the home for many years, you might not be aware of new issues that may have developed during your ownership.
What’sInvolved With a Home Inspection?
Basically, a home inspection is a thorough visual examination of the physical structure and the home’s major systems. Professional inspectors are licensed and insured in their jurisdiction, and they have a checklist of items they examine to ensure they’re safe and not defective. The following things are included in any list of items checked during any inspection:
- Damaged roof.
- Defective or damaged electrical system.
- Signs of flooding in the basement and water damage in other areas.
- Leaky pipes and other plumbing problems.
- Problems with your HVAC system.
- Pest infestations and particularly those that can damage a home’s structure.
Why Do Home Inspections Occur?
Typically, an inspector is hired by the buyer to ensure a home they are about to close on is safe and free of defects. Sometimes, a seller can have a pre-listing inspection done to find out about any issues before listing their home. Depending on what, if any, issues are found with the home and how serious they are, the prospective buyer who has contracted to buy the house may ask that the seller fix the discovered issues or renegotiate the price. In the worst case
scenario, the buyer can back out of the deal if the uncovered problems are significant enough, which is why home inspections can be worrisome for sellers.
Ways to Prepare for an Inspection
At S.P.T. Home Services LLC, we know how important it is for a homeowner to prepare their home for an inspection properly. The following are a few things you can do to make life easier for the inspector and decrease the chances of finding any issues.
- Clear any clutter out of your basement, attic, and crawl spaces. As inspectors ourselves, we know how important it is that we can access areas of the home to check the structure and systems. If we can’t reach them, we have to list it as “uninspectable,” which means more time rescheduling another inspection. In particular, you want to ensure nothing is blocking us from accessing your furnace, water heater, or electrical panel.
- Keep receipts of any systems you’ve had repaired. If you had leaky pipes that caused water damage signs but subsequently had the pipes fixed, show the receipts to the inspector to know the issue has been fixed.
- Clear any small clogs in sink or bathtub drains so the inspector does not suspect plumbing problems.
- Be proactive in handling any pest problems either by spraying poison yourself or by hiring a professional exterminator.
- Handle small items such as replacing HVAC system filters and making sure all light bulbs work in the home. Poor air quality can be an indicator of problems, and nonfunctional lights might mean electrical problems.
Final Thoughts
When you’re trying to sell a home, the prospect of an inspection may have you worried. This is especially true if it’s an older home or one you’ve been living in for a long time, which means it has been a while since it’s been inspected. That said, the person buying the property still needs to know they are getting a safe home with a solid structure and properly functioning systems.
The quality of your inspector is important. If you live in or near Bucks County, Montgomery County, Berks County, Chester County, Delaware County, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, you should contact S.P.T. Home Services LLC. Our certified, licensed, and insured inspectors can give you a heads up about any issues with your home, whether you are buying or selling, and we’ll do so at very competitive rates.
