How To Get A House Ready For Inspection For Refinancing

Some very valuable tips on how to get a house ready for inspection for refinancing are here. Home inspection by the bank is really an appraisal by their company.  The bank or finance corporation will send a licensed appraiser to your home to estimate what the property is worth. Whether a new mortgage or refinance, the process is the same.  In some cases the appraiser is more liberal with a refinance, but he will be looking for some basics. He wants to compare your home to the homes that have recently sold in the last three to four months. 

How to get a house ready for inspection just may help to increase the value of your home and thus enabling you to refinance your home. A refinance is usually done for a few reasons: to upgrade the home, college money for the children and debt consolidation. Either way, choosing to get a house ready for inspection is imperative.

1. Housecleaning The main step in to get a house ready for inspection is doing a thorough house cleaning. This would mean cleaning the curtains, shampooing the carpets, scrubbing walls and ceilings of grease and marks, thoroughly cleaning the bathrooms and kitchens. It is amazing how clean a kitchen looks with some good ole elbow grease and a bottle of degreaser. Cleaning the ovens and refrigerator to look bright and shining is an absolute must. Make sure there are no smells in the home also. Make sure all pet smells are removed from the carpets prior to the home inspection.
2. Touch up the Paint. Sometimes it will take one can of paint to make some emergency repairs to holes and cracks and sometimes the entire room needs repainting. A home with fresh paint will compare to other homes with fresh paint. Fresh paint may not raise the appraisal considerably, but it will make the home shine and gleam. By using some white cement on all holes and cracks before painting, the walls will look smooth and fresh.
3. Brighten the Front Lawns The first impression is the curb appeal. Spending some time and effort on the curb will raise the value of the home. Pay attention to some simple things that may of been neglected in the past, such as trimming the hedges, pulling weeds and adding some potting plants around the trees. Remember to repair any broken outdoor planters, trellises and shutters. Watering will go a long way also. Sometimes it is the simple things that add value the most when you get a house ready for inspection.
4. Repair and Maintain If there are dripping faucets or broken handles in the kitchen and baths, repair them before the home inspection. Look at the electric sockets and plates and if they are wore and broken, replace those. Many things in your home can be replaced or repaired with minimal money involved. One of the things people over look prior to a home inspection is the sprinkler system.  Make sure everything is working and ready for the appraiser.
5. Declutter the Home or Staging Home staging is decluttering, cleaning and removing of trash. The first rule of thumb when you get a house ready for inspection prior to refinancing is to get rid of all clutter. It is amazing how removing trash, debris and excess furniture can improve the value of a home. By storing boxes and extras in the attic or out of sight, the appraiser will see the home as tidy and clean. Not only should you stage the home, but the garage also.

Resource:

How to Prepare for an Appraisal