Getting Ready for the Professional Home Inspection

I actually found this article on a web-site for a local real estate agent. So I can't take credit for writing it. There is a link at the bottom of the page.

Getting Ready for the Professional Home Inspection

Home cleaning is a routine activity for many. However, special effort has to be put in when preparing a place for a home inspector visit, in order to make it as appealing as possible. All the efforts that you invest in maintaining your home are rewarded when you make it through the home inspector's scrutiny. To get a positive response from the home inspector you need to run your own examination first. You need to take care that no mildew stains or odors are present in and around your residence. The walls and floors are favorite targets for home inspectors and hence, you need to make sure that they are free of dampness or cracks which might shelter insects.

Here is a list of the basic things that you need to check before you present your house for home inspection:

Make sure the gutters around your house are all tidy and in good working condition. Not only should they be free from garbage but also be free from any leakage and have all cracks repaired.

The branches of trees surrounding your home are properly trimmed and none of them touch your roof. This will help give the exterior of the house a neat and clean look.

Ensure that all downspouts have diverters beneath them.

Keep your appliances spotless, especially the oven and see to it that the stove top burners work well. Vacuum cleaners, mixers, grinders, washing machines and other home appliances should be cleaned regularly to prevent them from choking when you take them out for use.

Tighten all the kitchen cabinets, doors, handles and knobs.

Tighten the toilet fixtures as the sanitation of the house is most important when it comes to maintaining a clean and hygienic home.

The air conditioners and heaters need to be serviced at regular intervals to keep them in proper working condition. They need to be checked and have their filters changed before operation if they have been idle for a long period of time.

Oil and tighten the hinges of all the doors and windows of the house to stop them from creaking every time you open or close them. Well fitting doors and windows are not only more convenient and secure, they also help insulate the house against drafts.

In case you have an attic and you have turned it into a dumping ground, then ensure that you clean it up and check the insulation level.

Your garage door should open and shut properly and the auto reverse should also function without you having to struggle with it.

All the lighting fixtures need to be checked and replaced or repaired in case any of them has burned out bulbs. The electrical panels and circuit breaker configurations should be in accordance with the house's lighting needs. External receptacles, and those located in damp areas such as bathrooms, need to be wired to ground fault circuit interrupter circuits (GFI).

All smoke detectors need to be tested and their batteries replaced if needed.

Cover any exposed soil in the basement with plastic sheets to keep the levels of moisture in the house down.

Ensure that the roof has no damaged shingles and have no moist rudiments underneath them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_Koonar

Now I didn't write this article, but that doesn't matter. I felt it was important to post because it actually tells what a home inspection is about. If home owners were to go over this list and do what is suggested it will make the home inspection go a lot smoother and faster.