Join Club

Ask Adam: Preparing for a Home Inspection

Arbour Realty

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos of Arlington-based real estate firm Arbour Realty, voted one of Arlington Magazine’s Best Realtors of 2013. Please submit follow-up questions in the comments section or via email.

Question: We just put our house on the market.  In anticipation of finding a buyer we would like to prepare for the inevitable home inspection. Can you provide any advice?

A professional home inspector will go from room to room testing the heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, electrical, appliances and smoke detectors. He or she will also evaluate the structure, roof, interior and exterior of the home.  What the home inspector finds to be positive and negative about the home will greatly shape the homebuyers perception of the investment they are in the process of making.

Don’t forget that the standard home inspection contingency usually provides them with the ability to cancel the contract. Yes, this does happen regardless of the market. Even too many little things can spook a homebuyer because they consider them clues about the overall condition of the home.

It’s a lot easier to be proactive about preparing your home for a home inspection. You will avoid opening up negotiation over a laundry list of repair requests and/or monetary credits. It leads to a transaction that is likely to progress smoothly and it is likely to save you money.

One of my favorite real estate authors (Jennifer Allan) put together a home inspection checklist for sellers that I have borrowed from and added to over the years, resulting in the following:

  • HVAC system — have it cleaned and serviced. If repairs are needed, make them. Make sure it has a clean filter.
  • Clean heating and cooling registers and vacuum inside if needed.
  • Make sure your windows open, close and lock.
  • Check for leaks in faucets and under sinks.
  • Make sure toilets flush properly and are not wobbly. If wobbly, replace wax ring and bolt down firmly.
  • If warm enough outside, de-winterize hose bibs.
  • Make sure all light fixtures and light bulbs are working.
  • Ensure that sinks and tubs drain quickly.
  • Clean gutters.
  • Replace cracked or broken window panes.
  • Caulk around tubs and showers.
  • Clean out grime in faucet filters (to maximize water pressure).
  • Ensure doors open, close and lock smoothly.
  • Ensure drain spouts extend away from the foundation.
  • Make sure anti-tip bracket is in place for the stove.
  • Run all appliances if the house has been sitting vacant. Listen for odd noises and check for leaks.
  • Inspect roof and make repairs as needed.
  • Test electrical sockets for the correct polarity.
  • Test smoke detectors.
  • Provide receipts and warranties for recent repairs and servicing.

If you are living in the house, chances are you know of other fixes that should be made prior to the home inspection.  It’s always better to make the fixes upfront than to have someone else mandate how the fixes should be made.

I have not yet employed this strategy, but I have seen listings where the seller actually has a home inspection completed on the home prior to putting it on the market. The home owner can use the report as a guide to proactively making repairs. He or she may also decide to furnish the report to potential buyers if they think it positively reflects the condition of the home.

Inspections can range anywhere from $250 to over $700 (depending on the size of the home) so this is not an inexpensive endeavor. It will however, put you in the best position to catch all the fixes that will show up in a home inspection and offer a truly move-in ready home.

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Recent Stories

Wondering about the mechanics of a green card application? Statutes of Liberty has the do’s and dont’s before application fees go up!

Alexandria might not be getting a pro sports arena, but Arlington and Alexandria might be getting another “premier indoor active entertainment destination.” Specifically: Sky Zone, a kid-friendly trampoline park with…

A new Arlington food hall opened this week with the hope of breathing more life into Rosslyn. Featuring fresh technology, murals by local artists and a full plate of nine…

With the Alexandria NHL and NBA arena deal now dead, and MLB opening day today, it’s a good time to reflect on the fact that Arlington could have been the home…

Award-winning drag queen Tara Hoot is bringing her Family Fun Story Time Brunch to Arlington at Freddie’s Beach Bar! Saturday April 6 at noon! Join Tara for songs, stories, puppets, bubbles and joy! It’s not just stories, it’s a SHOW that’s perfect for kids and kids at heart–fun for everyone! Plus a tasty brunch at Freddie’s! Click the link and make your reservations now! ❤️ 🫧 🌈

Submit your own Announcement here.

The Summer 2024 STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math) Fellowship application is now open! Apply by April 15 to be considered!

The STEAM Workforce Development Teacher Fellowship provides Arlington Public Schools (APS) high school, middle school, and elementary school teachers with opportunities to learn about workplace needs in STEAM-related fields and for them to use the experience to enhance student learning to match workplace expectations in a selected industry. STEAM Fellows participate in a three-week summer fellowship, receiving a $4,000 stipend upon completion.

Applicants planning to pursue a fellowship in the arts must demonstrate how they will build connections between the arts and science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

Click the button to learn more, share, apply, and see the variety of fellowships completed in previous years.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

ACFCU’s Homebuying 101: Steps to Getting Pre-Approved

Are you ready to jump into homeownership, or have you started considering it but don’t know where to start?

Financial preparation is key when thinking about purchasing your first home and the first step to getting pre-approved. Join ACFCU for

Free Right-Sizing Workshop – How to Get Rid of Your…

Cody Chance and Dick Nathan of Long & Foster are hosting a free workshop at our office on Cherry Hill Rd. (formerly Lee Highway) on the topic of “down-sizing” Thursday, March 28 from 5:30-7:30. We have created a workbook with

×

Subscribe to our mailing list