Do you need a home inspection to sell a house?

Yes! Having an inspection done before or during the selling process allows you to maintain peace of mind and some leverage when it comes to selling your valuable property. It will:

• Give you more control over the selling process
• Facilitate a faster sale for more money
• Eliminate the risk of last-minute contract cancellations or 11th hour re-negotiations
• Protect yourself from over-inflated, buyer-procured estimates
• Reduce your liability with a full-disclosure report
• Make your home more marketable and attractive to buyers
• Identify repair issues, allowing resolution of those items before placing your home for sale
• Be able to eliminate issues that a buyer's inspection would have ultimately revealed.
• We provide our clients with the option to pay for their inspection at closing.
• We offer a "Repair Estimate Report" for our clients through Front Porch.

What happens if the home inspection reveals problems?

If your home inspection reveals any problems, it is important to understand the severity of the defect. For example, a missing shingle or dirty air filter can be easily fixed at a low cost. However, if the defect is more extreme, such as a major foundation crack, wood-destroying organism infestation, or evidence of mold, you should find out how these problems can be addressed, and whether you can negotiate their cost with the seller. We are partnered with ISN (Inspection Support Network), and "Front Porch" so we can offer a "Repair Cost Estimate" at a small extra fee.

Realtor's & Seller's Pre-Listing Home Inspection Services

We’ll inspect your home as if we were a potential buyer

When you sell your home, you want the most value out of your investment. And while many sellers don’t have a pre-listing home inspection, there are many important reasons you should. A pre-listing home inspection provides a view of your home’s condition through the eyes of an unbiased third party. It gives you the information you need to make repairs and identify items that will likely be called out by your buyer’s inspector, avoiding surprises that could potentially slow the sale of your home.

Providing a professional inspection report to potential home buyers will give them a feeling of confidence your home’s overall quality. And it has the potential to significantly ease the sometimes-painful negotiation process.

Our pre-listing home inspections are as thorough and detailed as those we perform for buyers. We’ll examine your home’s components for structural soundness, proper function, and code compliance. Your inspection report will be delivered within 24-hours, and we will explain our findings and recommendations.

In the end, you’ll have an unbiased understanding of your home’s condition to support decisions about making repairs and setting a fair price. Our goal is to help you identify any defects that might get in the way of the swift sale of your home.

Purpose & Scope of an Inspection with McClain

Home inspection services performed using this Standard are intended to provide the client with information about the condition of inspected systems and components at the time of the home inspection.

Structural System

The home inspector shall inspect structural components, including the foundation and framing.

Limitations & Exclusions

The home inspector is not required to perform actions, services, to make determinations, or to make recommendations that are not specifically stated in this Standard.

Exterior Home

• Wall coverings, flashing, and trim
• Exterior doors
• Attached and adjacent decks, balconies, stoops, steps, porches, and their associated railings
• Eaves, soffits, and fascias accessible from the ground level
• Vegetation, grading, surface drainage, and retaining walls that are likely to to affect the building adversely Adjacent and entryway walkways, patios, and driveways

Plumbing Systems

• Interior water supply and distribution systems including all fixtures and faucets
• Drain, waste and vent systems including all fixtures
• Water heating equipment and hot water supply system
• Vent systems, flues, and chimneys
• Fuel storage and fuel distribution systems
• Drainage sumps, sump pumps, and related piping

Roof Systems

• Roofing materials 
• Roof drainage systems. Flashing
• Skylights, chimneys, and roof penetrations

Electrical Systems

• Service drop
• Service entrance conductors, cables, and raceways
• Service equipment and main disconnects Service grounding interior components of service panels and sub panels
• Conductors
• Overcurrent protection devices
• A representative number of installed lighting fixtures, switches,
  and receptacles
• Ground fault circuit interrupters

Air Conditioning

• Open readily openable access panels
• Central and through-wall equipment
• Distribution systems
• Describe: energy source(s). cooling systems

Fireplaces & Solid Fuel Burning Appliances

• System components
• Chimney and vents
• Describe fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances
• Chimneys

Interior Home

• Walls, ceilings, and floors.
• Steps, stairways, and railings Countertops and a representative number of installed cabinets
• A representative number of doors and windows
• Garage vehicle doors and garage vehicle door operators
• Installed ovens, ranges, surface cooking appliances, microwave ovens, dishwashing machines, and food waste grinders by using normal operating controls to activate the primary function

Heating Systems

• Open readily openable access panels.
• Inspection of installed heating equipment, vent systems, and chimneys. 

Insulation & Ventilation

• Insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces, ventilation of attics and foundation areas and mechanical ventilation systems