Alright, you've had an offer on your house, conditional on a home inspection. Well what does that mean? Is he just looking for major problems? Here are a few tips to make sure you are ready for the smartypants inspector:



Clean Your Gutters: The inspector is definitely going to check the gutters. If they are full of leaves, maple keys, pine needles, etc. it is going to raise a red flag. Cluttered gutters make the inspector think that he is going to find problems elsewhere in the house. Even if he doesn't find additional roof problems, drainage problems, or moisture problems; the clogged gutters are a sign of weak home maintenance and will be noted in the report. By exhibiting poor maintenance in the gutters, you will lose the benefit of the doubt throughout the rest of the inspection.

Organize: Throwing all of your junk in the garage is never a good idea. If the inspector can't get at such things as the attic scuttle or the electrical panel, he can't do his job. Rather than just pass on those items, he is more likely to report on the fact that those items were "un-inspectable" and should be considered suspect.

Don't Try to Conceal Problems: A doormat in the middle of the kitchen screams to the inspector: " Look under me!!!" The inspector is going to look under the area rugs and behind the curtains. If you know there is an issue in these places, it is best to address them before the inspector "happens upon them"

Sure, a home inspector can't see through walls, but he is generally able to tell when someone has something to hide - we see it every day.

Replace Burnt Out Light Bulbs: I know it sounds silly, but a good home inspector is going to try every light switch he sees. If one of them doesn't operate the lights, he may assume that it is simply a burnt out bulb, but he won't be sure. It is far better for you to spend a few minutes and a couple dollars replacing burnt out bulbs than to have the inspection report contain something to the effect of: " The light switch at the bottom of the basement stairs did not operate the lights. This may be a burnt out bulb, or it may be indicative of a serious electrical problem. Have a licensed electrician assess the situation."

Make Sure the Whole House is Accessible: Nothing screams concealed defect louder than a padlock on the interior of a house. Even if the lock was just meant to keep the kids from finding the Christmas presents, an inspector is going to think that you have something to hide. If you do insist on leaving the lock there, make sure you have the key and open the door for the inspection. Saying you lost the key raises the eyebrow even further.

If you follow these simple steps, you can go a long way towards having an event free inspection. If you have any other questions regarding the inspection, feel free to contact me (brad@manorhome.ca).

Thanks for reading,

-Brad Manor, Windsor's own home inspector.