Checklist for Seller’s Agents and Buyer’s Agents
Below are two checklists. One is for Sellers agents (which includes homeowners and tenants). The other checklist is for buyer’s agents.
Checklist Seller’s Agents / Homeowner / Tenant:
On the day of the inspection, the seller/homeowner/tenant should PLEASE:
- expect to be gone for at least 4 hours.
- have all animals out of the house and yard or contained.
- clean up animal waste in the yard.
- provide clear access to the furnace, the electrical panel, all doors and windows, and as many outlets as possible—especially GFCI outlets.
- remove personal belongings that block clear access to the crawlspace hatch and attic hatch—especially if they are in a closet.
- have all sinks clear of personal property so faucets and drains can be tested.
- have the areas under the sinks cleared so drain lines are visible.
- have all firearms and other weapons secured in a location where the home inspector will not be in danger, or be responsible for moving them.
- leave all gates and outbuildings to be inspected unlocked.
- make sure all utilities (electricity, water, natural gas/propane) are on and pilot lights are lit. ( gas fireplaces, water heaters, stoves)
- have all window coverings open so windows are accessible.
- know that you may need to reset some clocks because testing GFCI and AFCI circuits interrupt power.
- make sure all switch-controlled lights have operating bulbs.
- for OR inspections, make sure the OR State required smoke alarms and CO detectors are installed.
Checklist for Buyer’s Agents:
- Utilities: Make sure all utilities are on. Systems cannot be inspected if not on. Electric, water, natural gas/propane.
- Sellers Agent: Make sure the seller’s agent knows the inspection schedule and notify the seller for proper access.
- Disclosure: Send us the disclosure form via email. (checkitouthomeinspection@gmail.com)
- Time: My thorough home inspections require at least 3.5 hours for a typical house—sometimes more for larger, older, or poorly maintained homes. Clients are welcome to be at the inspection, but especially should be present for the half-hour of review time in the end. So the inspection time on site is a total of 4 hours.
- Payment: Please remind your client that payment is due at the time of inspection. Your client can pay with a check, credit card with a 2.75% fee (3.75% if manually entered), or Venmo. (Your client received instructions in an email prior to the inspection.)
- Pre-inspection agreement: Remind your client that they must sign the pre-inspection agreement before I will release the report. (This was also sent via email, prior to the inspection. They can sign via the email, at the time of the inspection, or can sign online when the report is sent.)
Full-Service Home Inspection Services
At Check It Out Home Inspection Services, we offer all the home inspection services you would expect, for example electrical, plumbing, roof, structure, interior, exterior, garage, and grounds, etc. (Go to the Check It Out Home Inspection homepage for a full list of home inspection services). We also offer One-Stop Shopping home inspection services so you can schedule sewer scoping, radon testing, and oil tank searches 24/7 with a single click or call.
Check It Out Home Inspection provides service to the Greater Portland and Vancouver areas.
