How to Prepare for an Inspection

Buyers

• Make sure you have permission from the owner/agent to perform the inspection, and that arrangements are in order to have the house unlocked.
• Ask (or have your agent ask) the seller to read the sellers preparatory guide (below).
• Make sure the utilities (electricity, water and gas) will be on at the time of the inspection. 
• Try to attend the inspection, as the educational value alone is worth the price.
• Prepare a list of questions ahead of time to help me understand your concerns.
• Bring a notepad. I'll do my best to provide all the information you need in the written report, but your own notes are also useful.
• Obtain and bring along a copy of the Sellers disclosure statement, and any previous inspections, pest reports, repair invoices, etc. that you are privy to.
• Bring your checkbook.
• Do not bring children under five years old. They cannot handle it. (And neither can I.)
• Depending upon the size, age and complexity of the house, inspection times can run from 3 hrs. (new, empty, clean house) to 8+ hrs (older, larger crawlspace house). The more problems there are, the longer it takes. 
• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that could get dirty.

Sellers

This will be a thorough inspection of your home. I will avoid disturbing your personal possesions as much as possible, but I will need to see everything listed below. If these areas are not accessible, I may have to return later (and you may be asked to pay for the re-inspection).

• Provide easy access to all electrical panels.
• Provide easy access to all plumbing fixtures and equipment, including the water heater, water softener, shut-off valves, pumps, and so on.
• Provide easy access to the furnace or other heating equipment.
• Attics and crawlspaces: The attic is the space between the ceiling and the roof. There may be more than one attic. I will need to enter and inspect them all. Move clothes from closets under openings, or cover them: often, there is insulation piled on top of the access panel, and the is no way to avoid it spilling out when the panel is opened. Remove stuff from shelves if it obstructs access to the hatch. A crawlspace is the space under the floor, inside the foundation. The access may be from the exterior, or interior (through a hatch in the floor). Either way, it must be visible and accessible.
• It’s also a good idea to trim any trees and shrubs that may make an inspection of the exterior of the property difficult.
• Leave all warranty and service literature on the kitchen table.
• Provide copies of repair invoices if available.
• Leave a copy of your disclosure statement.
• Leave special instructions regarding pets.
• Leave special instructions regarding house idiosyncrasies (alarms, yard lights, etc.)
• Please notify me if the house has been treated with chemicals for any reason.
• Please leave kitchen sink free of dishes.
• Repair minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.