How To Prepare Your FishHawk Ranch Home For A Home Inspection

Posted July 4, 2018

In Real Estate Tips and Advice — Sellers

How To Prepare Your FishHawk Ranch Home For A Home Inspection

Awesome, you just got a contract on your FishHawk Ranch home! One of the first things a buyer will do is get a home inspection during the inspection period of the contract. As the seller, here is a guide on how to prepare for a home inspection. The key here is to try and ensure, as much as possible, that everything in the home is in working order and to ensure the inspector can access and test all items to be inspected. A huge red flag to buyers is when they get the inspection report back and it reads “not tested” or “unable to access/not inspected”. The reason buyers pay for the inspection is to get these items tested!

Ensure all utilities are on. This includes water, gas, and electricity. Also, ensure there is nothing blocking the attic access.
A good majority of homes in FishHawk Ranch have gas. Ensure that all pilot lights are lit and burning. You should check the hot water heater, stove, fireplace, and any other pilot lights your home may have.
If your home uses propane or oil fuel make sure that there is fuel in those tanks.
If you have an alarm system, turn it off unless the home inspector asks to have it turned on.
Not common in FishHawk Ranch but if you have radiators or heating elements move any furniture away from them so the inspector can turn them on and test them.
If you have a fireplace ensure that it is not obstructed.
Air conditioning/heating vents on the floors, walls, and ceilings get tested. The inspector usually uses an infrared temperature measuring device to check the temperature of the air coming out of the vents. Make certain that none of these vents are blocked or obstructed.
The inspector will need access to the electrical panels/breaker boxes. Ensure that there is nothing is in front of or blocking this area.
The inspector will be checking the electric outlets in the home. Please try and make them fairly accessible. If there are any large furniture items blocking any of these outlets try and move them before the inspection. This holds especially true for GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) protected outlets in the kitchen, garage, laundry room, bathrooms, or other areas, make sure that nothing is blocking those GFCI outlets. The inspector will try and test all of those outlets.
Try to clear out the area around the hot water heater so it can be easily inspected.
If you have pets please try to have them out of the house for the inspection. Not only is it added stress on them but it makes it harder for the inspector to do their job.
FishHawk residents, we live in Florida, in the summer it gets hot! I’m sure the home inspection will not want to be crawling around in your attic any longer than they need to. Make sure they have unobstructed access to the attic door and ensure the attic allows for the inspector to easily move around the attic.
Most of us in Florida do not have basements but some of us have crawl spaces. If we have them remember that the inspector will need to freely access the area and get it inspected.
Ensure the inspector has access to all areas of the home. Ensure you leave keys to all doors, access to all gates, leave a garage door remote and provide any gate codes that may be needed.
Trim bushes and plants away from water spigots, dryer vents, pool filter, and around the air conditioner(s).
If needed clean and replace all the filters in the home. This includes the AC filters, filters in the range hood, and any other filters in the house.
Remove everything from the tub or shower. Remove items that may be on top of the toilet tank lid. Remove items from the vanity cabinet under the sink, so that the Inspector can check the water cut-off valves.
Remove all dishes from the sink. Remove items from the cabinet under the sink. This will give the inspector access to inspect the water cut-off valves.
Remove all dishes from the dishwasher. Remove pots and pans from the stove and the oven.
Remove clothes from the washer and dryer (if these appliances are included in the sale).
Check all the light bulbs in the home. Replace any that are burned-out.
Test all smoke detectors and replace batteries if needed.

FishHawk Ranch Home Inspection Checklist

If you are preparing to sell your home here is a home inspection checklist that a home inspection company may use when a buyer hires them to inspect your home.
Please Note: This checklist should not be relied upon as a home inspection report, nor should it be considered a substitute for a home inspection. This list is representative, but NOT exhaustive.

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About the author

The above real estate article “How To Prepare Your FishHawk Ranch Home For A Home Inspection” was written by Jeff Gould.

Jeff is a top-selling, nationally recognized real estate broker, REALTOR®, and local FishHawk Ranch real estate expert.

In addition to the FishHawk area, Jeff sells homes in the entire Tampa Bay area. Including Lithia, Riverview, Valrico, Apollo Beach, Brandon, and the rest of the Tampa Bay area.

If you are looking to sell or buy a home anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, Jeff is your local and trusted professional.