If you've been trying to sell your home for a while, there's nothing like hearing a potential buyer say the phrase "home inspection" to make you start losing sleep. To get through the home inspection a little easier, there are a few things that you should do:

Clear A Path

One of the best ways to make a home inspection easy is to make sure that the inspector can get where he or she needs to go. You don't want to have the inspection cut short, and rescheduled, just because the inspector doesn't have a clear path to the HVAC system.

Aside from that, make sure that the inspector has a clear path to the water heater, sump pump, and electrical panel. It's also a good idea to clean out the undersides of sinks and you should move boxes away from the walls in attics and basements. 

Check For Mold

While you are cleaning out sinks and moving boxes away from foundation walls, keep an eye out for the tell-tale musty odor of mold, or any irregular patches on walls or cabinets that are discolored. Remember that mold can come in a variety of colors - brown, black, green, and white are all common colors of household molds. 

While mold detection isn't usually part of a standard home inspection, mold is a sign that materials like drywall and wood may be rotting below the surface. A good inspector is probably going to take note and you don't want your house sale to derail because of an old spill that never got properly cleaned up. 

All homes  have a little mold in them, so don't panic if the moldy area is small. Instead, don a pair of plastic gloves and a face mask, and use a mixture of borax and hot water to scrub the mold away. The borax is non-toxic and safe to use around your kids and pets, and won't leave behind a heady chemical smell where you used it.

Dig Out Your Records

One of the things that you can do to make sure that your home inspection goes smoothly is to dig out your maintenance records for things like the HVAC system. Proof of regular maintenance goes a long way to satisfying an inspector's inquiries as to the health of your heating and cooling system, since regular tune-ups increase the longevity of both.

Also dig out records of plumbing that you've had done, and proof of recent installations of things like the roof, the water heater, and carpets. That way you aren't forced to guess when the inspector asks how old something is.

The same goes for records of any treatments that you've had done for rodent or insect infestations. The signs of termites last long after they are gone, and an inspector can't tell old tunnels from new just by looking at them. Have the proof that you handled the problem already available.

On The Day Of Inspection

When the inspector is due to be at the home, be there. You don't want to miss the opportunity to be there if the inspector finds a problem. For one thing, you won't have any surprises waiting in the finished report when it arrives. If there is a problem, you have the chance to get ahead of it, and get it fixed or come to an agreement with the purchaser about what you will and won't be responsible to handle.

Also, be kind to the inspector: make sure that pets are kept locked away from wherever the home inspector needs to be. Dogs in particular should be crated or relocated to a neighbor's for the process, but you also don't want the family cat to play "escape artist" during home inspection.

Hire One Yourself

If you're particularly worried about the state of your home, you can always opt to hire a home inspector yourself to give your house the once-over, prior to putting it up for sale. A home inspection costs, on average, between $400-530.

Home inspection doesn't have to be scary. Instead of viewing it as a hurdle to a successful sale, you can look at it as an opportunity to better establish the value of your property to prospective buyers. To learn more, contact a company like Home Inspection Associate with any questions you have.