What To Expect During The Inspection & Appraisal as a Seller
Holy moly you accepted a contract on your home and you are ecstatic! As you should be – all that hard work paid off and you’re one step closer to your new chapter! 🤗
There are a few things that need to happen before you go skipping to the bank… two biggies.
Inspection & Appraisal
The buyer will have the opportunity to conduct an inspection prior to closing and then will have the opportunity to negotiate repairs or compensation for repairs from findings of that inspection.
Once the inspection is completed and negotiated, the bank will order the appraisal. The appraisal is the estimate of the home’s value. Both inspections involve deep analysis of your property - from the components side & the value side.
Here is how to best prepare for both!
Home sellers often make the mistake of not putting in the effort after the contracts are signed. We call this “getting comfortable”.
The biggest mistake you can make is to not make your home show ready any time that buyer is walking in or one of their inspectors. You want to keep them excited & looking forward to living life in your home - they don’t need to see your dirty laundry!
Here are 3 things you can do to prep your home for inspection & appraisal (and keep that buyer excited as they walk through the door):
1. Understand what inspectors are looking for - the inspection is a visual inspection for health, safety & mechanical defects in the property. Make sure the inspector has access to all the areas of the home. Attic is a big one! Make sure they have access to inspect & that areas are clear. If you want a more in-depth picture of what the home inspectors are looking for - check out our blog post.
2.Clean up - Your buyer is going to be in the home reviewing the inspection with the inspector. It’s best that they see the home in its shining form so they’re reminded of how excited they are to move in! Remove dishes from the sink, declutter, make the home smell good & try your best to make it “show ready”
3.Go through a mini inspection - check out the following items:
Lighting - making sure fixtures are operating property & bulbs are in!
Home Mechanics - when was the last time you serviced your furnace? Or your A/C? Providing this information will be helpful! If it’s been a minute, maybe you have that done.
Exterior - clogged gutters? Any loose or missing sidings? Do your windows open properly?
Plumbing - Any active leaks? Inspectors run a lot of water! Addressing leaks ahead of time will be an easy fix.
Appliances - Are they in good working order? Is your ice maker working?
If there are any current defects with the home that you aren’t able to fix, a great place to note them is in the owner's property disclosure with an explanation. Leaving a copy for the inspector to see is extremely helpful and lets them take the guesswork out of why things are happening.
The appraiser’s time in the home will be much shorter, in fact sometimes they don’t even need you to leave your home. Again making sure your home is neat & clean – keeping with the theme “show ready”. This translates that the home is taken care of & well maintained to the subconscious which could positively impact your report. At this point, you’ve probably started packing. If you’re storing packed boxes in the home - try to consolidate them in one area. The garage is a great place - just remember to keep things neat and organized.
The most impactful thing you can do for both inspection & appraisal is keep the home neat, clean & tidy. I cannot stress this enough. The more you can showcase how well your home is taken care of, the more these inspectors will notice!
