1. Clear all vegetation a minimum of 12 inches from the side of the building. Some decorative plants may need to be trimmed or held away from the building if trimming back 12 inches is not an option.
2. Eliminate all siding to soil contact by a minimum of 6 inches Repair any damaged siding noted at this time.
3. Clean the roof and gutters, as well as adding down spouts and splash blocks as needed to drain the water away a minimum of 12 inches from the building. If you have under ground drains, you should unhook them before cleaning the roof and gutters.
4. Clean up all spider webs in all areas in, on and around the building.
5. Get a 5 year certification on the roof, if your unsure of it's life expectancy.
6. Caulk around all high risk areas, i.e. the bathroom and kitchen areas.
7. Make access to the crawl space hatch, the attic hatch, electrical panel, water heater, and the furnace.
8. Have the furnace/AC serviced by a licensed HVAC Contractor if it has not already been done within the last 6-12 months.
9. Crawlspace - Check for pooling water and remove and repair any rot damaged material. Clean out all conducive debris (such as form wood, fallen insulation, cardboard, old pipes, etc...) and rodent or other small animal fecal mater.
10. Repair all damaged vent screens with holes the size of a dime or larger. Look around the pipes going through the vent to see if they are sealed or not.
11. Treat for any known wood destroying organisms (i.e. Carpenter Ants, Subterranean Termites or Wood Boring Beetle of the family Anobiidae) Leave all paper work laid out so the inspector can review them for you.
12. Gather all applicable paperwork (permits, service receipts, roof certicication, pest treatments, etc...) and leave a copy for your inspector.
Puget SoundHome Inspections
