Six tasks Before your Home is Inspected

When selling a home in Dallas, you can count on a buyer to have it inspected during the Option Period. Here are a my top 6 quick and easy tips for getting your property ready for an inspection. These same items tend to appear on a lot of inspection reports. You really ought to go ahead and do them now - regardless of an impending inspection.
1. Replace your air filters. Dirty filters tell buyers that you don't maintain the heat/ac system. Then they wonder what else you haven't maintained.

2. Replace the refrigerant line insulation on your outside air conditioner. Pipe insulation is a gray foam kind of tube you can get at Lowes or Home Depot. It is cheap and helps keep the cold air cold as it enters your house. Our Texas weather causes this insulation to deteriorate after a few years, so replace it when it shows signs of cracking or falling off.

3. While you're at it, clean the outside compressor. Clear away any vines, leaves, etc. and hose off the coils. You don't need any special tools, just a garden hose.

 

4. Trim away any shrubs, trees or vines touching the house. They can damage the house ( especially the roof) and allow insects easier access. The inspector will note it, so trim. 

5. Go in to the attic and clear any debris out of drain pans. Your heat/ac system has a drain pan as do water heaters. Insulation is easily knocked into drain pans and could clog the drain lines. Cleaning away any debris by hand and wipe with paper towels.

 6. If your home is older, check the dishwasher drain connection to the garbage disposer. It should go from the disposer and head uphill before going to the dishwasher. That keeps gunk from the disposer from backwashing into the dishwasher. A simple fastener should do the job.