When you put your home on the market, it will probably undergo a home inspection before the sale closes. You can opt to have an inspection done yourself before you put your home up for sale so you can avoid surprises, but whether you do or not, the buyer will probably want their own inspection done before buying your house. When you put your home up for sale, you'll want to improve its appearance as much as you can within your budget. Here are some things you may want to do that can help with the inspection process, too.
Treat Your House For Bugs
If you don't get regular pest control treatments, you may want a pest control company to check your house and treat for bugs or rodents. Pest damage is one thing a home inspector will look for, so you want to make sure there are no termites in the house or other bugs that might cause harm. Plus, you don't want bugs scuttling around as potential buyers tour your house and look in the cabinets and in the basement.
Trim Trees Away From Your Roof
The inspector will check for signs of roof damage, and if tree limbs are brushing against the roof, the inspector may give the shingles a closer look. When tree branches are close to the roof, that's a sign there could be damage from blowing branches or pests that crawl up the tree and jump on the roof. By trimming branches far away from the roof, potential buyers and the inspector won't have their attention drawn to the area causing them to wonder if damage is present.
Clean The Gutters And Change The HVAC Filter
The potential buyers of your home can attend the home inspection if they choose. One thing the inspector and buyers may look for is neglect. If the gutters are packed full of leaves or if the HVAC filter is coated in a mat of dust, those are signs your home hasn't been well cared for. That could worry buyers and prompt the home inspector to look at your home more closely for signs of damage that occurred due to neglect when it comes to maintenance.
Repair Old Water Damage
Water damage is another thing the inspector looks for and that could hurt you in a home inspection. If your home has water damage from a past roof leak, then have signs of the damage repaired. If the leak has been fixed, but you never got around to repairing the water stain by putting in new drywall or painting, then you may want to make those repairs before you put your home up for sale. If you have an existing water leak, you don't want to cover it up. Instead, you can disclose it upfront so the buyers know about it and won't be surprised and put off when the inspection is done.
