Deciding to sell your home is one thing; getting it ready for potential buyers is another.

As the seller, you need to take care of the cosmetic fixes that will make your home more appealing to your buyer. Once you finally have a buyer and have accepted the negotiated price, the deal is almost close... or is it. In reality, this is not where it usually ends.

Before saying goodbye to your property, your next focus should be on the best way to prepare for a home inspection. 

In a real estate transaction, the home inspection occurs after the buyer and the seller signed the purchase agreement. Many buyers insist on inspecting the home, so we recommend hiring an inspector before even posting your home for sale in Indianapolis. This will let you see, inspect, fix, and make changes ahead of time to avoid the stress and possible loss of sales due to unforeseen problems. Also as a seller, you want to make your home pleasing to your buyer. 

During a home inspection, the property is examined from top to bottom. This means that every roof, foundation, wall, electrical, HVAC system, and plumbing is being evaluated. They will also check for termites, molds, mildew, leaks, and other signs of damage. So, preparing the house for a home inspection will help you ensure it goes smoothly. 

Cleaning Your House

A thorough and deep cleaning is a must. Make sure to see all the nooks and crannies in your home. Clean your countertops and remove any furniture that is on the way. While you're at it, grab the opportunity to declutter the items you won't need anymore and separate them from stuff you will keep. 

Keep everything clean and tidy, making plenty of room in your home. 

Maintain this kind of cleanliness for the home inspector. How you clean your home may not play a big role in the inspection, but a dirty or messy house may make the inspector suspicious that other areas of the property aren't properly taken care of either.

Make Space For Rooms That Needs Checking

You want to make sure that the home inspector will have easy access throughout the property. Having difficulty in the areas that need checking or inspecting will leave a problem and an impression on the buyers. 

Clear away any clutter on the way that the inspector will need to take a look at like the attics, basements, sinks, heaters, furnace, and other areas that need to be checked. 

Furthermore, the inspector will also be going to check the exterior, including caulking around the windows and doors. Leave the areas around your home free from any blockage like storage items and trash so they will not be obstructed. You can also trim trees and bushes and make your home exterior as clean and tidy as the inside. Don't forget to supply keys for any electricity boxes or sheds that may be required. 

Keeping Utilities On

Make sure that when the inspector visits, all the utilities are on. Keep them running as you want to make sure that everything is ok, including electrical components, plumbing, and gas. Sometimes this is a mis-overlook that causes delay during an inspection.  

Make Sure Your Toilets Are Functioning Properly

Check for toilet flush. When you deal with a problem daily, it becomes simple to ignore it, but you don't want the house inspector to discover it. Take care of the issue before the inspection because fixing a running toilet is a quick and inexpensive fix that you can do on your own with a quick trip to the hardware store.

Replacing Everything That Needs Changing

Light Bulbs

Flip all the switches and check safety features. A blown bulb can mean one of two things to a home inspector: either the bulb is broken or there is a problem with the wiring of the fixture. Either the inspector will have to spend time evaluating whether a fixture is inoperative, or they will simply record that a potential fault exists without further investigation. By making sure that all of your bulbs are in good operating order, change the bulbs so you can prevent both of these situations. 

Cabinets And Doors

Take a tour or walk through your house and check each door and cabinet if it's still working properly. Hinges in the cabinet are easy to get loose. These can result in cabinets not closing properly and will not match the frame. You can avoid these by tightening the screw in the hinges with a screwdriver.

For doors, check the interior and exterior doors if it still fits or latches properly into the frame. Locks and door knobs should also be checked and should be securely in place, specifically doors outside for security purposes. 

Breaker Box

A confusing box is frustrating especially if the inspector is the one to see it. Check for the breaker box and make sure that all the switches in the box are labeled correctly and clearly and replace labels that are incorrect or are difficult to read.

Faucets

Test for appliances and water fixtures for possible leaky faucets and replace them with new ones. Take time to also check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors so you could replace the battery when needed. 

Furnace Filter

Replacing your furnace filter regularly is important to keep the air quality and overall function of your heating system. By doing this it will lessen the things that the inspector needs to check. You can also replace the existing filter to show that you always pay attention to it.  

Fire Extinguisher

Lastly, if you have fire extinguishers, make sure that the expiration dates are not out of date hence, replace them with new fire extinguishers. 

Be Prepared  

You should be ready for questions the home inspector might ask particularly things you didn't think of. By the day of the home inspection, you should have done everything you can to prepare and make sure that everything will go smoothly. At least an hour or two before the scheduled inspection make quick rounds on the house ensuring that all the utilities are on, double checking areas that need clear access and systems all around the house, and unlock any gates, electrical boxes, or other areas that you normally keep secure.

Not all buyers expect perfection. Relax and calmly do what needs to be done. Like you, they just wanted to make sure that the place they will purchase will not have any problems or heavy burdens to take. A few issues won't hurt. Most of all if there would be any issues you would be the first to know as you have already checked everything before the visit.