Inspection Accessibility & Home Inspection Readiness

A home inspection is a non-invasive visual inspection of the accessibly systems, areas and components of the home. There are times when certain areas of the home are inaccessible, and we can't inspect them. Sometimes there is shelving or other items in a bedroom closet preventing the inspector from physically entering and inspecting the attic. We can only inspect what we can safely access and see. For liability reasons, home inspectors do not move the seller's belongings, furniture, shelving, etc.

When I send email confirmations to listing agents, this email includes tips to forward to their seller to help them get the home ready for the inspection. Some of the items listed include ensuring safe physical access into the attic, crawl space and/or basement. Ensuring that the water heater, HVAC equipment, breaker panel, etc. are fully accessible meaning the inspector can stand on the floor immediately in front of these components, remove access covers (if applicable) and inspect the systems properly. Most sellers have no idea what a home inspector does, so I provide this information ahead of time to help educate the seller and to help ensure that we can fully inspect everything in a single visit to the home.

As part of the inspection, we also note the locations of things such as the water meter and its shutoff valves, the location of interior sewer cleanouts, the location of the gas meter (some are located in the basement in older homes) or fuel oil tank, etc.

If or when we can't access something, we note that in our inspection report and often include a photo (such as showing the pile of boxes in front of the breaker panel). Many times, the buyer will ask that we return once the seller has provided access to the area or system and the buyer often expects the seller to pay the re-inspection fee. The same happens in cases where a system isn't operational or a utility is shut off. If the gas or water service is turned off or there are circuit breakers in the OFF position, this prevents a full inspection. Again, for liability reasons, home inspectors don't assume we know why a gas or water valve or circuit breakers are off and turn them on. This can have bad consequences.

Over the nearly 20 years that I have been inspecting homes, several times I have witnessed buyers or their Realtors make assumptions that became seriously bad decisions. In one case a buyer's agent turned on a water valve behind a toilet against the verbal wishes of myself and the buyer. Within about 10 minutes, we noticed water dripping out of the basement's finished ceiling (directly below the toilet in question) onto the seller's collection of antique newspapers and photos. In another example, a buyer decided to turn on the gas valve at a water heater against my strong recommendation not to do so. Little did the buyer know that the flexible gas line to the water heater wasn't fully screwed into place (its threads were crossed) and natural gas quickly started filling the basement. When a client or Realtor makes a statement about wanting to turn something on (they assume we have the right to do so since we're permitted to do an inspection of the property), I remind them that it is still the seller's home and we can't make assumptions.

As a listing agent, preparing your seller for the home inspection ahead of time is a good idea. It ensures things can be properly and safely inspected in a single visit, helps prevent the cost of a reinspection and helps prevent possible delays in the home transaction process.

Facts, opinions and information expressed in the Blog represent the work of the author and are believed to be accurate, but are not guaranteed. The Lancaster County Association of Realtors is not liable for any potential errors, omissions or outdated information. If errors are noted within a post, please notify the Association. Posts represent the author's opinion and are not necessarily the opinion of the Association.