3 Best Home Inspection Tips for Sellers in Sacramento

These home inspection tips for sellers will help you to prepare.

Some of the reasons I would write about home inspection tips for sellers in Sacramento are to a) help out the real estate reader who visits my website, and to b) supply timely information for other agents, but it’s also to c) provide a link to content that I can send to my own sellers. Triple duty blogs, I call them, that keep on providing information and tips to Sacramento sellers long after they are published. Hey, it’s not like I’m leaking classified information to the Russians like some idiot we wish we did not have to hear about.

Depending on the seller, I generally suggest to buyer’s agents that they set up the appointment times directly with the seller. It seems to work out best that way, especially when contractors unexpectedly run late and / or buyer’s agents suddenly need to add an additional inspection. They can discuss times and dates one-on-one so there is no confusion. There is no reason for a listing agent to be in the middle of the appointment times between a seller and buyer’s agent.

Every so often I work with a seller who does not want to ever talk to another living breathing soul except for me, and you know what? That’s OK. If they decide to wrap themselves in space blankets for protection from radiation due to electromagnetic hypersensitivity, I’ll be right there putting my keys and cellphone in the mailbox, like Jimmy on Better Call Saul.

#1 of 3 Home Inspection Tips

So that’s my first suggestion in home inspection tips for sellers, if you don’t mind making your own appointments, you should probably wait for the buyer’s agent to call, then arrange the appointments that best work with your own schedule. Remember, buyer’s agents cannot dictate when the home inspector will arrive. They need to ask you for an appointment, and you have the right to suggest an alternate date if it’s not convenient.

Do try to work with the buyer’s agents appointment times, though, because to delay the inspection could mean a delay in releasing the inspection contingencies, which by contract default are within 17 days.

#2 of 3 Home Inspection Tips

Second suggestion in my home inspection tips for sellers is to clean up the house. We don’t all live like J.R. Ewing with servants wiping our footprint remains left in the entryway. Nope, we need to tidy up and make the home as presentable as possible, just like when you were showing it to prospective buyers, before it went into pending status. Remember, at this point, the buyer is still a prospective buyer. Just because they have a deposit in escrow doesn’t mean they will close escrow.

#3 of 3 Home Inspection Tips

My third suggestion in my home inspection tips for sellers is to leave the house. It will take about 3 hours. Don’t hang around to chit-chat or offer information because that’s where sellers get into deep trouble. You need to disclose what you know about the home in your seller disclosures, but you don’t need to get into lengthy discussions that could possibly raise any new issues that do not exist. I know you just want to help, and you have nothing to hold back, but my advice is do not answer any questions.

Let the buyer’s agent ask your listing agent for that information. Listing agents will try to make sure you stay out of trouble. There is a good reason you are paying a listing agent and part of that reason is to provide a buffer. If a buyer asks you a question, just say: my agent says you need to talk to her about that. Repeat if necessary and it may be necessary. You don’t think you can say anything wrong and you might be right but what if you’re not? Just don’t take that chance.

How long have you lived in this property?

You: My agent says you need to talk to her about that.

How old is the roof?

You: My agent says you need to talk to her about that.

Have you ever made an insurance claim?

You: My agent says you need to talk to her about that.

Better for you, just don’t stick around during the home inspection. Besides, the buyers, their agent, the inspector, they all need to talk about what is or could be possibly wrong with your home. There will be a lot of stuff wrong no matter how well you maintained your home. You don’t want to listen to that downer crap, right? So just don’t be there.