From packing to cleaning and repairs, there’s a lot of stressful things to do during the moving and entire home-selling process. Louis Annee, CMI, New Start Inspections explains that if you are selling your house, there are some ways to make your home inspection go smoother, with fewer concerns to delay closing. Checking these areas before your home inspection is an investment in selling your property, and will expedite your closing.

1. Make sure the inspector has access, not only to the house, but also to the furnace, water heater and air- conditioning units (especially in closets, attics and crawlspaces).

2. Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electric service panels, water heaters, etc.

3. Check to see that the garage is open and that any water heater, utility panel and shutoffs and resets for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) within are accessible.

4. Unlock areas the inspector must access, such as attic doors or hatches, electric service panels, closets, fence gates and crawlspaces.

5. Ensure that all utility services are on, with gas pilot lights burning.

6. Be sure pets won’t hinder the inspection. Ideally, they should be removed from the premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.

7. Replace burned-out bulbs to avoid a “light did not operate” report that may suggest an electrical problem.

8. Remove stored items, debris and wood from the foundation. These may be cited as conditions conducive to wood-destroying insects.

9. Trim tree limbs to 10 feet from the roof and shrubs to 1 foot from the house to allow access.

10. Attend to broken or missing items such as doorknobs, locks and latches, windowpanes, screens and locks, and gutters, downspouts and chimney caps.

For more information visit www.newstartinspectionscorp.com.

THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY NEW START INSPECTIONS.