Congratulation, your home is under contract! The next step will be for the buyer to schedule an inspection. Here is some information to help you understand the inspection process.
- The inspection will take about 4-5 hours and you should not be home for the inspection.
- The inspector is licensed and will have access for the lockbox.
- Buying a home is an exciting and also scary time for a buyer. Often the agent, the buyer and sometimes family will attend the inspection. Please make sure to secure any firearms, medications and valuables during the inspection.
Preparing Your Home
The inspector is not supposed to move things in the house. He also will not attempt to fix anything. A few suggestions to make the inspectors job easier...
- Move anything away from the electrical panels in the garage and outside.
- Move anything that would obstruct access to the attic, HVAC and water heater.
- If anything is locked the inspector will need to access please be sure to unlock it prior to the inspection.
- Make sure the main water shut off valve is not obstructed by dirt or leaves. The inspector will not dig into the dirt, if he can't see the valve, he will say it may be missing.
- Make sure that all the water shut off valves for any of the sinks, etc are on. The inspector will not test to see if the valves are off, he will say the hot water in the bathroom does not work, etc.
- Replace any lightbulbs that are not working. If a lightbulb is out the inspector will say the light fixture is not working.
- Replace AC filters if that has not been done recently.
- If there are any remote controls needed to operate anything in the home please leave them visible with directions if needed.
- Please leave instructions for anything unusual the inspector may not know how to operate in your home. Inspectors often have trouble operating fancy thermostats so please be sure to leave instructions so the thermostat can be operated to avoid the inspector saying the heater won’t turn on, etc.
What Happens After The Inspection?
- The inspection report is typically sent to the buyers within 24-48 hours. Sometimes the buyer’s agent will send us a copy of the report however we do not automatically get a copy of the inspection report and we are not entitled to a copy unless that is something the buyers want to share.
- We do not ask for a copy of the inspection unless you instruct us to do so. Once we receive an inspection report it will need to be disclosed to future buyers. Often to better understand an inspection item asking for a screenshot of the issue will help.
- In some states the seller is required to fix items on the inspection report. In Texas you are not obligated to make any repairs. The buyer may want to negotiate repairs and that is something we can discuss at that time. If an agreement can’t be reached the buyer has a right to terminate the contract.
- The buyer is hiring the inspector to do a thorough inspection of your home, just like you would want done if you are buying a home. Try to stay calm and try not to take anything personally on the inspection report. We will review any inspection items together and staying calm will help make this part of selling your home easier for you.
- If anything does need to be repaired, we have trusted contractor contacts with just about every trade imaginable to help you.
We are here to shepherd you through the inspection process. If you have any questions or need help getting your home ready for the inspection please let us know immediately. When you are ready to sell your home, contact Eric Peterson directly at 512-791-7473 or eric@koparealestate.com .
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