RAI Home Inspections

Blog

The Pre-Listing Inspection Checklist

If you don’t plan on selling your home yourself, the first step in listing your home is of course to find a real estate agent who truly understands your needs. The second step is preparing yourself so that you getting together as much information as possible so you and your agent can carry out informed negotiations with potential buyers. Careful preparations for these meetings will ensure that your house sells quickly and for the highest price possible. We have compiled some of our essentials below to help you sell your house efficiently and effectively.

Collect All Your Papers

Readying your home for a potential buyer begins with locating all the most important papers related to your home. These include operating manuals for all appliances and your HVAC system, notes about paint colors for the walls, and any warranties that are still applicable. Seasonal totals of utility bills may help further differentiate your home from similar houses in another county, so we also recommend having those on hand. Also include documentation of any recent repairs, replacements, or professional cleanings of your home. Having these papers ready in your initial meeting with your inspector will ensure you and your agent can reach a listing price that’s appropriate for the actual value of your home.

Have Estimates On Hand

A professional inspector can help you determine how much it will cost to replace any appliances or parts of your home that might need improvements within the next few years (e.g. the furnace, roof, or water heater). You may not be prepared to buy new items now, but knowing the potential costs will give you an edge in negotiations. Along with these estimates, include information on local cleaning services or any utility services you have used in the past. Ultimately, the more research you have done and the more you can tell an inspector about your house, the easier it will be for him or her to accurately inspect your home.

Make Easy Cosmetic Fixes

Home Improvement

Take a walk through your home, and try to experience it as if you were the one making a purchase. Are there cracks in your driveway or concrete foundation? Is paint chipping? Are there spots on the carpet or hardwoods? Even the smallest blemishes or problems can turn off a potential buyer, so—particularly with small, inexpensive repairs, try to fix whatever you can before you list.

Any devices or appliances that will be sold along with the house (e.g., smoke detectors) should be tested to ensure they’re working properly. All plumbing including sinks, toilets, and showers should be cleaned and checked for functionality. And last, lighting is essential to making your home look open, clean, and presentable. Keep this in mind and replace any burnt out light bulbs, broken fixtures, or dysfunctional switches.

Declutter and Depersonalize Your Home

If you aren’t selling a furnished home, your rooms will ideally be empty (or “open”) in order to give any viewers an idea of the actual size of the space. Rented storage centers are great options when it comes to temporary placement for items you’d like to keep. If you haven’t already, find out where the nearest dump or junkyard is and begin to sort out which possessions won’t be following you to your new home. By clearing the house you plan to list, inspectors and agents will be able to better survey and appraise your house.

Along the same lines, you should remove all signs that you lived in the home. The idea is for it to be completely neutral so buyers can picture themselves living there. By removing your personal effects and memories, it will allow for potential buyers to imagine their own within those spaces (and make them feel less like they’re invading someone else’s space).

Have Your Home Professionally Inspected

home-inspector

A professional home inspection is the single most important step in preparing your home for listing. This inspection will give you a detailed report of the property’s pre-sale condition and unveil any concerns that might compromise a sale. While home inspections are sometimes performed right before closing the sale of a home, a better option is to move the inspection to the beginning of the sales cycle, thereby removing obstacles to a sale before committing time to negotiation.

Getting an inspection report can sometimes be confusing, so before you schedule your inspection, take some time to understand how to read a home inspection report. You can even get your own free sample inspection report to see exactly what criteria you should plan to cover during your inspection.

 

Download Your Sample Report

 

81 comments on “The Pre-Listing Inspection Checklist

  1. I was suggested this web site by my cousin Im not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my trouble You are incredible Thanks

  2. It was great seeing how much work you put into it. The picture is nice, and your writing style is stylish, but you seem to be worrying that you should be presenting the next article. I’ll almost certainly be back to read more of your work if you take care of this hike.

  3. Simply desire to say your article is as surprising The clearness in your post is simply excellent and i could assume you are an expert on this subject Fine with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work

  4. What i do not realize is in fact how you are no longer actually much more wellfavored than you might be right now Youre very intelligent You recognize thus considerably in relation to this topic made me in my view believe it from numerous numerous angles Its like men and women are not fascinated until it is one thing to do with Lady gaga Your own stuffs excellent All the time handle it up

  5. I do agree with all the ideas you have introduced on your post They are very convincing and will definitely work Still the posts are very short for newbies May just you please prolong them a little from subsequent time Thank you for the post

  6. I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.

  7. I am not sure where youre getting your info but good topic I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this information for my mission

  8. Bwer Pipes – Your Trusted Partner for Agricultural Irrigation in Iraq: Explore Bwer Pipes for reliable irrigation solutions tailored for Iraqi agriculture. From durable pipes to advanced sprinkler systems, we have everything you need to optimize your crop yields. Visit Bwer Pipes

  9. of course like your website but you have to check the spelling on several of your posts A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I in finding it very troublesome to inform the reality on the other hand I will certainly come back again

  10. Somebody essentially help to make significantly articles Id state This is the first time I frequented your web page and up to now I surprised with the research you made to make this actual post incredible Fantastic job

  11. Fantastic beat I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site how could i subscribe for a blog site The account helped me a acceptable deal I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept

  12. you are in reality a just right webmaster The site loading velocity is incredible It seems that you are doing any unique trick In addition The contents are masterwork you have performed a wonderful task on this topic

  13. I just could not leave your web site before suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard information a person supply to your visitors Is gonna be again steadily in order to check up on new posts

  14. Nice blog here Also your site loads up fast What host are you using Can I get your affiliate link to your host I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

  15. I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here The sketch is tasteful your authored subject matter stylish nonetheless you command get got an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this hike

  16. I do trust all the ideas youve presented in your post They are really convincing and will definitely work Nonetheless the posts are too short for newbies May just you please lengthen them a bit from next time Thank you for the post

  17. I do believe all the ideas youve presented for your post They are really convincing and will certainly work Nonetheless the posts are too short for novices May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time Thanks for the post

  18. you are in reality a just right webmaster The site loading velocity is incredible It seems that you are doing any unique trick In addition The contents are masterwork you have performed a wonderful task on this topic

  19. Thank you I have just been searching for information approximately this topic for a while and yours is the best I have found out so far However what in regards to the bottom line Are you certain concerning the supply

  20. Thanks I have just been looking for information about this subject for a long time and yours is the best Ive discovered till now However what in regards to the bottom line Are you certain in regards to the supply

  21. Wow amazing blog layout How long have you been blogging for you made blogging look easy The overall look of your web site is magnificent as well as the content

  22. I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here The sketch is tasteful your authored subject matter stylish nonetheless you command get got an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this hike

  23. I loved as much as youll receive carried out right here The sketch is attractive your authored material stylish nonetheless you command get bought an nervousness over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike

  24. Techarp I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

  25. Hello i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to Return the favore Im trying to find things to improve my web siteI suppose its ok to use some of your ideas

  26. Профессиональный сервисный центр по ремонту бытовой техники с выездом на дом.
    Мы предлагаем: сервисные центры по ремонту техники в мск
    Наши мастера оперативно устранят неисправности вашего устройства в сервисе или с выездом на дом!

  27. أنابيب السيليكون التي يقدمها مصنع إيليت بايب مصممة لتوفير مقاومة عالية للحرارة ومرونة فائقة. هذه الأنابيب ضرورية للتطبيقات التي تتطلب التحمل للتغيرات الحرارية، وتتميز بمتانتها التي تجعلها مناسبة للعديد من العمليات الصناعية. التزامنا بالجودة يضمن أن أنابيب السيليكون الخاصة بنا هي من بين الأفضل في العراق. قم بزيارتنا على elitepipeiraq.com للحصول على المزيد من التفاصيل.

  28. قنوات الكابلات الكهربائية (PVC) في مصنع إيليت بايب في العراق، قنوات الكابلات الكهربائية (PVC) هي شهادة على التزامنا بالجودة والابتكار. تم تصميم قنوات PVC الكهربائية لدينا لتكون متينة وسهلة التركيب، حيث توفر حماية ممتازة للكابلات الكهربائية، مما يضمن حمايتها من الأضرار المادية والعوامل البيئية. خفة وزن الـPVC تجعل التعامل معها وتركيبها أمرًا سهلاً، في حين أن مقاومتها للتآكل والتعرض للمواد الكيميائية تضمن أداءً طويل الأمد. كأحد أفضل وأعتمد المصانع في العراق، يقدم مصنع إيليت بايب قنوات PVC تلتزم بأعلى معايير الصناعة. لمزيد من المعلومات، قم بزيارة موقعنا: elitepipeiraq.com.

  29. obviously like your website but you need to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to inform the reality on the other hand Ill certainly come back again

  30. BYU Cougars I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *