What to Expect Before We Inspect: How to Prepare Your Home for an Inspection

By Lee Cunningham, Professional Home Inspector

So, you are ready to sell your home. You have contacted a real estate professional, cleaned the house, and made it ready to show to potential buyers. Have you given any consideration to what happens after you get the acceptable offer? Most home buyers will request a professional home inspection. Although you have lived in the house without any major problems, a professional home inspector may notice conditions you were unaware of. This can lead to complications and issues between you, the seller, and the potential buyers. The following information is not intended to replace a pre-listing inspection but as an aid to home sellers to anticipate and correct some of the more common conditions typically noted in inspection reports. 

Roofs

The best way to inspect your roof is to walk on its surface. If you do not feel you can safely walk on the roof, we recommend inspecting the roof from several vantage points with a ladder and binoculars. Check to make sure the surface, valleys, gutters, and scuppers (drainage troughs for flat roofs) are clean. Ensure that vegetation is trimmed and not growing over or coming in contact with the roof surface. 

Asphalt shingles are the most commonly used roof surfaces on pitched roofs. The most common defect with relatively young roofs is missing shingles. In many cases this is due to high winds.

Tiled roofs will often have cracked or broken tiles. Although this is typical, if the general tile condition is poor it may be a point of contention for potential buyers. We do not recommend walking on or attempting to replace tiles yourself. They are often brittle and you may end up breaking more than you replace. Tile replacement is best left to the professionals. The easiest method to inspect your tile roof is with a ladder from the eaves or back away from the house and use binoculars.

In Las Cruces many houses have flat roofs. There are several different styles and installation procedures for flat roofs but they all need to be watertight and drain effectively. Look for any lifted seams or ridges. Ridges in the roof are usually a sign of poor installation techniques. We recommend a qualified technician perform the repairs because, if they are not done properly, they will eventually split. Next, inspect the flashings and the condition of the sealant around them. If the sealant is cracking, splitting, or separating from the roof or a penetration, it will need to be re-applied.

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