Judi Morgan prompted this blog so here goes...I know I have posted similiar blogs but it's worth another try. Judi mentioned she had shown several houses, one with A/C and the others without. In this Texas heat A/C makes a difference. 
*Picture yourself walking into a 90-100 degree house, at 1:30 in the afternoon with no A/C. The next home that is 78 degrees with A /C, Which home would you spend more time evaluating and envisioning yourself living in? Judi said they really liked the one that had A/C.,,,, I wonder why?
Now, here are some tips to prepare for your inspectot the day he comes to inspect your home.
•1. Clean the House - Need I say more. Clean & Declutter
2. Be On Time Because the Inspector Will Be
Sometimes home inspectors are early. If an inspector makes an appointment with you for 9:00 a.m., have the house ready for inspection at 8:30. It's also common for inspectors to start on the exterior of the home, so leave the shades down or drapes drawn until you are dressed.
3. Leave the Utilities Connected- - - Thank You
The home inspector will need to turn on the stove, run the dishwasher, test the furnace and air conditioning, so leave the utilities on, especially if the house is vacant. It's impossible to check receptacles for grounding and reverse polarity if the power is turned off. Without utilities, the inspector will have to reschedule, which could delay the closing of your transaction and the removal of the buyer's home inspection contingency.
4. Provide Workspace Around Furnace and Water Heaters (De Clutter)
Remove boxes, bookcases, furniture and anything else blocking access to your furnace, air conditioner and water heater. The inspector will need three to four feet of working space to inspect these items.
5. Keep Pilot Lights Ignited
Many home inspectors will refuse to light pilot lights because they are not covered for that type of liability. If your pilot lights are not lit, then important items such as the water heater, gas stove or furnace will not be inspected and the buyer could delay closing until those inspections are completed.
6. Provide Access to Attic and Garage
The inspector will need to get into your basement and / or attic as well, so keep a path cleared. Move boxes away from the walls. (clean and de-clutter).
7. Leave Keys for Outbuildings & Electrical Boxes - Important
Leave the remote controls for your garage door opener or a key if the garage is unattached to the house. Unlock the covers for your sprinkler system and electrical box. Leave a key for exterior building access. If not, this means a return trip for the inspector and a possible reinspect cost for time and travel)
8. Clear Away Brush from Exterior Inspection Points
In the summer, cut down dead tree branches and clear brush from the foundation. Move trash cans away from the house. (prepare the outside, just as important as the inside inspection).
9. Provide Repair Documents...Helpful
Make available to the home inspector all invoices and documents regarding remodeling projects or new items such as a roof or furnace. If you've upgraded the electrical from ungrounded to grounded, installed a new dishwasher or repaired a leaky faucet, find the paperwork. It will give the buyer peace of mind to know those items were reinspected. (Keep all your paperwork in one place so you can easilyl locate) I recently did a home in the Dominion with many built in's in the kitchen, items you don't see in a normal home. The owner had all the paperwork available. Some items had not been used and they had lived in the home for a year; so we learned together. Thank goodness for the paperwork.
10. Prepare to be Away for Three to Four Hours Depending On The Size of the Home
Often the buyer will accompany the home inspector, and buyers feel uncomfortable asking questions if the owner is present. Try to schedule a time for the inspection when you can be out of the house, and take the children with you. Crate your pets if you cannot remove them from the premises. (we don't want any surpirses, maybe a bird that may fly out the door or a cat run to the neighors).
11. Make sure the diswasher is empty and don't hide items in the oven or dishwasher. You'll be surprised some of the things I have found through the years.
12. Don't leave valuables, Example: jewelry laying around.
The inspector can not conduct the inspection without electricity and water; it will take several days to have these items turned on; therefore you can save time by not turning these items off.
I'm sure I could add additional items but these are a few that come to mind.
Thanks
Carl Winters, Complete Inspection Service (your friendlly Hill Country Inspector) serving San Antonio and surrounding counties. For the Inspection, Call 830-660-0131
From TAREI:
_______________________________________________
830-660-0131 - Carl Winters, Advanced Inspector, License #3630 (TREC Licensed) (since 1994) Serving San Antonio, TX and The Texas Hill Country. realestateinspector@yahoo.com
Carl - This is a terrific checklist, my friend. I am going to bookmark this post for future use with my clients. Have a great day!
Carl, I agree with Jason, this is a great checklist! I'm going to use it for clients too. (especially since I inspired this great post!) :)
"dancing in the rain"
Jason - Glad you could use.
Judi - Yes - You did inspire me to write this blog. Hope it helps.
I hear they are going to start rationing water; isn't that just dandy. I think all of us should get out and do a rain dance, seed the clouds or something.
Carl, I've been waiting for that announcement. A rain dance sounds like a good idea!!! Last year it rained almost everyday in June -- this year, none!!! :(
well, I'm "dancing in the rain" . . . :)
Judi - I remember last year I was saying "rain, rain go away and come back another day", well another day is here. Where's the rain? I think I heard on the radio coming home that the Dallas area got some rain today, sure wish it would move this way. The lawn is absolutely burning up. don't forget your soaker hoses.
Carl, we have an automatic sprinkler system. We're watering twice a week right now and by hose in between and they still aren't doing well. :( With the rationing, they'll cut us down to once a week and my plants will probably die. :(
Howdy Carl and Ceil
Carl my frirnd, I wrote a home safety and maintenance manual on CD, that I give to my client's with their inspection report. They always like geting it.
Dale - That is a great idea and I know the client must be impressed with the CD and the ability to have something to slip into the computer for future reference. You are so smart to do that. That is a super great marketing idea and helpful. Maybe you should mass market and become rich and I can cofme help you count all your money.
Have a great day my friend. Going to a seminar at 11:00; something to do with new guidelines and rules and have an inspection scheduled for 2:30 .so Will get home late from San Antonio.
Hey Carl, it's raining down here in San Antonio!! WOOHOO!!!! When I took the dog out, I noticed it was wet outside and I thought it was the sprinkler system -- then I realized it's raining! WOOHOO!!! Ceil's raindances worked!
I'm "dancing in the rain!" :)
Howdy Carl, Ceil and Judi
my good friend's
I am so dog gone happy Y'all are geten some rain down your way. Happy days are here!!
HeeHaw
Carl, two things about mass markting it. (1) I'm just a plane ol countryboy, that is happy just paying his own way through life. It would also take away from the peronal touch that I like to give my client's. (2) Besides most rich folk's ain't really happy.
Howdy Carl
I sure hope the new guidelines and rules, are someting good for all the Texas home inspector's. Hope also the inspection goes ok for ya my friend.
Judi - Lucky...we didn't get rain. So I guess Ceil will have to keep dancing. Says she will try the jitter-bug.
Dale - I think they got rain north of us toward Dallas. The aquifer is sure dropping quickly and the lakes are going down. Not good.
The seminar was OK, nothng we didn't already know but since I was going to be in S.A. for the inspection it worked out great. The seminar in the morning and inspection this afternoon. Got to mske every trip count with the price of fuel. Glad its Friday, been a long, hard week. Turned down an inspectin for tomorrow, I need the time to work on the well house. It was an old 1800 pier and beam; had been moved, so you know how that goes, let one of the younger fellas have the job.
Thanks Judi and Dale for stopping by to say howdy.
Carl & Ceil, oh I thought for sure y'all had gotten rain. Well, it wasn't much but it was a nice surprise! They're predicting more for tomorrow. Tell Ceil I'll be up that way tomorrow, we can stop by and jitterbug a rain dance with her. :)
"dancing in the rain"
Howdy Carl
Sorry my friend, I was thinking you and Judi where in the same area.
Hoppeful your part of Texas will get some rain real soon.
Hi Carl... thanks for the great list. I will definitely make good use of the info!
And yes... we had a bit of rain yesterday... it was well needed. I could barely get my sign in the ground on the last listing I took because it was so hard and dry!
Dale - You are right, Judi is in San Antonio and we are about 35-40 miles north of Judi surburb of San Antonio but close enough to be considered the same area. San Antonio is for big city living, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels is for little city living. The showers they got were isolated throughout San Antonio. These little showers move around, come and go quickly. I think they also got a few showers up around Ricki's area according to the news. We all need a good drenching.
Steve: I have a couple small trees to plant that Ceil got for Mother's Day; waiting until the ground is not quite so hard. May be forced to plant as they need to come out of the containers. Probably will let the hose run in the area before I start digging. Glad you could use the list of tips.
Hi Carl, Ceil & Dale! Carl, yes, I live in the big city of San Antonio but my mailing address says Helotes!!! I tried to get out of the city a little bit but they annexed us. :( Carl & Ceil, I was up in your part of the area yesterday. Had to go up to New Braunfels -- then, since we were up that way, we decided to take a ride up to the outlet mall in San Marcos. We hadn't been up there in a while. Thought about calling y'all to see if y'all wanted to meet us somewhere for dinner on our way back. But remembered Carl had a project planned for yesterday. We got a little rain while we were in San Marcos and when we got home it had rained here too -- don't know how much we got but everything was nice and wet.
Carl great post, I may be contacting you off line in a few days, may have some work for you, if you work the Converse area. Judi saw your listing on your franchises TV program the other day!! Wished I had a buyer for your!
Hey Judi - This is Ceil. We did get a good rain on Saturday afternoon, about 1-3/4 inch is what my neighbor said. Since our fence is still down our rain gauge is also down. We also got very high wind so had about a three hour job picking up broken limbs and rubbish out of the yard. Wish we had time to play but right now have too many projects going on at one time.
Frank - I'm not sure I understand what Judi saw on TV, tell us more. We havent' put a listing out so need to track the source. Believe me if someone came with a "super offer" I certainly would entertain and offer.
Carl does work the Converse area, does many over that way. He has a hectic schedule this week so I am going to help him in the office.
Ceil
Ceil,
it was the Coldwell Banker show on Sunday and I saw Judi's mugshot (lol), on there.
Frank
Thanks for the info. Oh Judi has a mugshot?
Smart advice for all! Thanks for sharing!
Jim - Thanks for commenting. I'm sure some additional items can be added to the list.
Ceil, one of my listings was included on the Sunday Morning Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper, REALTORS tv show. The "mugshot" of me is the same one here on Active Rain!! :) Thanks for watching the show Frank. Wish you had a buyer for the property too. I just wrote an offer for clients in the Converse area too. :)
Ceil, can you give me a call?? Need to chat with you about an idea! :)
"dancing in the rain!" :)
Judi, you know I would if I had a client for you.