Speed Up Your Home Inspection

Ten Tips to Speed Up Your Home Inspection:

Sellers can speed their home inspection by following these suggestions. The inspection will go smoother, with fewer concerns to delay closing.

1.  Confirm that water, electric, and gas service are on, with gas pilot lights burning.

2.  Ensure that pets won't hinder the inpection. Ideally they should be removed from the premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.

3.  Replace burned bulbs to avoid a "Light is inoperable" report that may suggest an electrical problem.

4.  Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace dead batteries.

5.  Clean or replace dirty HVAC air filter. They should fit securely.

6.  Remove stored items, debris and wood from foundation. These may be cited as "conductive conditions" for termites.

7.  Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electrical service panels, water heaters, attics, and crawl spaces.

8.  Unlock areas that the inspector must access - attic doors or hatches, electrica service panels, closets, fence gates, and crawl spaces.

9.  Trim tree limbs to 10 feet from the roof and shrubs from the house to allow access.

10. Attend to broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches, windowpanes, screens and locks, gutters, downspouts, and chimney caps.