Ask the Experts: What Should Home Sellers Do to Prepare for a Home Inspection?

By David R. Leopold | RISMEDIA, Monday, May 27, 2013

We see it every day. Sellers who don’t take the time to ensure a smooth home inspection and who pay for it in the long run. The spring market is upon us. A little preparation can ensure sellers have great home inspections.

Home inspectors typically arrive 30-45 minutes early to the home inspection appointment so that they are professionally set up and ready to go when you arrive. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been greeted at the door a half hour before everyone is set to arrive by a person who looks as if they’re freshly out of bed.

If a seller does this, he’s about two hours late for his presentation. On inspection day, the house should be empty of the owners and their presence. In fact, everything should be just like it was on the initial viewing day. Be ready for inspection day by getting up and out of the house an hour before the appointment. The home should also be clean and pets should be removed or crated.

If something isn’t working properly, don’t try to hide it. We will find it. Buyers get very suspicious when sellers deliberately try to conceal defects. They immediately see you as dishonest and wonder what else you’re hiding. It’s not worth losing their confidence over a trivial defect. Just leave a note: “We know about it and we’re getting it fixed.”

In addition, make sure the location of attic and crawlspace hatches are identified and are easily accessible, as home inspectors hate moving your stuff.

If the hatch is in a closet, remove any clothing that is hanging directly under the hatch as well as anything on the floor. Your home inspector doesn’t want to move your smelly sneakers.

It’s also important to check every area of the house for blown light bulbs. This includes the crawlspace, attic, garage and furnace room. We don’t want to waste time determining if a fixture is inoperable or simply has a blown bulb.

Do you have a septic system or a well buried in your yard? If so, make sure you leave a sketch of the locations. There’s nothing worse than a group of contractors, home inspector, buyers and their REALTOR® wandering around a yard needlessly, searching for something you know the exact location of.

Lastly, please don’t leave your dirty laundry in the washing machine or dryer. We have to test these appliances and we don’t want to pull your dirty underwear out of the washer in front of everybody. Also, make sure your oven and stovetop are clear and clean so that we can easily test them without setting off the smoke alarm.

Some of these items may seem like REALTOR® 101, but I’ve noticed over thousands and thousands of home inspections that only the most successful REALTORS® pay attention to these details. Help your seller help themselves—and you—get ready for inspection day.

By David R. Leopold is the owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspection located in Fairfield County, Conn.

For more information, visit www.pillartopost.com.

9 Steps for Showcasing a Listing During the Holidays

Whether it’s wreaths or menorahs, your sellers shouldn’t overdo it around the holidays. Here’s how to stage a listing properly during “the most wonderful time of the year.”

From Realtor Magazine | December 2012 | By Barbara Ballinger

Gone are the days when houses were best listed come spring when flowers bloomed or in late summer before the beginning of the school calendar. Now, any time of year is good for selling if the property is priced correctly, clean, and in good condition.

But with Thanksgiving past and Christmas, Hanukkah, and the New Year fast approaching, many sellers wonder if December bodes well, given how busy people’s lives get and because so many home owners like to decorate their houses. Holiday decorations can distract buyers and make it hard to focus on a home’s important architectural features when, for instance, rows of stockings camouflage a beautiful period fireplace mantel or a toy train set takes up the entire living room floor.

Help your sellers understand how to attract buyers and showcase their house to maximum advantage at this time of year, yet not forgo their favorite seasonal traditions and merriment. And don’t forget to remind sellers that if they’re located in a cold, snowy region, it’s paramount they make their homes safe to enter by clearing all walks, steps, and the driveway and putting down some salt.

Here are answers to nine frequently asked sellers’ questions from real estate salespeople and brokers coast to coast:

1. Should we take our house off the market if it’s listed or not list it until the holidays are past?

Absolutely keep it in play, say most real estate pros. Those who brave the weather in colder climates and during this busy time of year often are the most serious about buying, says Randy Bell, sales practitioner with HomeSmart Realty Group in Denver. “November and December tend to be two of our best months, since we get folks who are willing to bundle up and head outdoors in cold temperatures; they’re not just tire kickers,” he says. Susan Stynes, GRI, with Long and Foster in Midlothian, Va., agrees, “While sales may go down at this time of year, the buyers looking definitely are among the most serious.” Some buyers also like the idea of purchasing before the end of the year for tax reasons, says broker Jennifer Darby with ERA Justin Realty Co. in Rutherford, N.J. And this year buyers may house-hunt during the holidays for two more reasons, according to Mark Fitzpatrick, broker and CEO of Fitzpatrick + Prince Real Estate Group in Irvine, Calif. “Inventory is going down in California, and rates are still low,” he says.

2. What kinds of outdoor decorations are appropriate?

Simple, classy, and classic are the three operative words, according to experts. What that means are trees and bushes with some lights, and potted plants and a wreath at the front door. Too many lights during the daytime can turn wires into an eyesore, says Stynes. The bottom line is to create a festive, warm holiday mood without anything becoming gaudy, says Maike Scherer, CEO of Capital Home Management in the Washington, D.C., area. What crosses the line into tackiness are huge, inflatable Santas on roofs and lawns, oversized Nutcracker soldiers, and human-sized candy canes, as well as so many lights that you think you’ve stepped into Santa’s workshop. The light colors should be kept to white or to discrete pairings of the season, such as red and green or silver and gold.

3. How about inside? What’s best and what’s to be avoided?

Again, real estate experts suggest erring on the minimalist side rather than going overboard. “Avoid clutter, and try to stay neutral,” says Gillian Luce, marketing manager of Homes.com, which offers an idea gallery online to inspire home owners how to display their personality subtly throughout the year. Good ideas from her include one tree with a few ornaments and wrapped presents, one wreath, a few stockings along a mantle, some candles and a holiday inspired runner on a dining room table or buffet, and maybe a simple garland up a staircase. But displaying all holiday cards, yards and yards of tinsel, and every single ornament you’ve always owned can become too personal and messy. “The goal is to get buyers to imagine themselves sharing the holidays with their family in the house, and if the rooms are so crowded with your stuff, they can’t,” says Bell. “Use common sense,” he adds, “and stage your house and rooms in the same way you would at other times.”

4. And religious decorations — OK or not?

OK, but the key again is not to have too many on display — lots of nativity scenes or menorahs, for instance. “If these objects are very meaningful for home owners, you don’t want to ask them to change their traditions, but it’s better if the house remains more neutral,” says Stynes. It also may depend in part on location. In Denver, Bell describes his area as a melting pot where various religious traditions are respected, welcomed, and celebrated.

5. What about music?

Soft music is fine; experts disagree about Christmas music, however, which some buyers may be tired of hearing in elevators and stores and on car radios at this time of year. Most agree that religious music should be avoided to appeal to the widest buyer segment.

6. And those sugar and gingerbread cookies and cinnamon spiced candle smells? Do they entice buyers or are they perceived as a bit kitschy?

Baked goods and nice fragrant candles always bring a warm, welcome smell. “They help introduce a nice emotional touch that lets buyers make a connection with the property,” says Luce. But the caveat is to avoid smells that might prove overwhelming.

7. Can sellers say no to appointments if they’ve got family visiting or are having holiday parties, or does that make them seem too Scrooge-ish?

Of course, they can say “no.” But if they’re going to say no repeatedly, it might be better for them to wait and list in January, says Darby. If they have a party or two to host, experts advise they do a thorough cleaning right away.

8. When should decorations come down?

Sometime in the week after New Year’s Day. “Nobody wants to see a house decorated for Christmas on Super Bowl Sunday,” Bell says.

9. And photos or videos with Christmas images used in online listings?

Those, too, should be changed fast, says Fitzpatrick. Darby agrees. “If you’ve got pictures with holiday wreaths and lights at the end of February, it will quickly date that the house was on before the holidays,” she says. Better to use only nonseasonal photos if you’re not going to have two sets.

And remember to wish all buyers and real estate pros who come to look at a listing to have a happy, healthy holiday and new year. Seasonal good cheer is always in style.

About the Author: Barbara Ballinger
Barbara Ballinger is a freelance writer and the author of several books on real estate, architecture, and remodeling.