The Seller Pre-Inspection Checklist
Find it before the buyer does. A room-by-room checklist for you, a handyman, or a trusted helper to walk your home before it goes on the market.
Your Printable Checklist
Download the 12-page checklist (PDF). Print it, or save it and share it with whoever is helping you get the house ready.
It has a box for OK, a box for Fix, and room for notes on every item, plus a page for your repair plan. The rest of this page is the short version.
Why Walk Your Own House First
Once you accept an offer, the buyer hires a home inspector. That inspector writes a report, and the buyer uses it to ask for repairs or a lower price. You get only a few days to answer.
Most of what shows up on those reports is small, like a dirty furnace filter or a toilet that rocks. Small things are cheap to fix now and expensive to argue about later.
This list follows the same order most Utah inspectors use, so you see your home the way they will.
How to Use It
- Walk every section. Check OK if it's fine. Check Fix if it needs work. Write what you saw in Notes.
- Watch for the PRO tag. Items marked PRO involve electrical, gas, or roof work. Look, but let a licensed pro do the repair.
- Write out your repair plan. Page 11 is where every "Fix" goes, with who's doing it and what it costs.
- Bring it to me. We'll decide together what to fix, what to leave, and what to disclose.
This is not a home inspection. It's a prep list. It doesn't replace a licensed inspector, electrician, plumber, or roofer.
What you find, you may need to disclose. Utah sellers fill out a property condition disclosure. Talk to me about anything you find before you decide what to do with it.
What the Checklist Covers
- Roof and gutters. Look from the ground or with binoculars. Downspouts should carry water 4 to 6 feet from the house.
- Outside and foundation. Grading, window wells, caulking, concrete, steps, and any signs of water in the basement.
- Electrical. The panel, GFCI outlets, every bulb, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level.
- Plumbing. Water pressure, drips, what is under every sink, and toilets that rock or keep running.
- Water heater. Two earthquake straps, an expansion tank, and a relief pipe that runs to about 6 inches off the floor. Utah inspectors check these every time.
- Heating and cooling. A new furnace filter with the date written on it, and a service receipt from the last year.
- Attic, inside, baths, and kitchen. Insulation, doors and windows, fans, caulk, and the appliances that stay.
- Garage. The door must back up when it touches a board, and stop when something passes the sensors.
The Day Before the Inspection
- Clear a path to the electrical panel, furnace, water heater, attic, and under every sink.
- Water, power, and gas on. Pilot lights lit.
- Unlock sheds, gates, and crawl spaces. Leave remotes out.
- Set out receipts and warranties for anything you fixed or replaced.
- Plan to be gone about three hours, with pets.
You Don't Have to Fix Everything
Some repairs are worth doing before you list. Some are better handled as a credit to the buyer. Some are fine to leave alone. The list tells you what's there. Then we decide what to do with it.
When your list is done, call or text me at 801-824-6385 and we'll go through it line by line. I'll tell you what I'd fix, what I'd disclose, and what I'd leave. The choice is yours. For the full walk-through in article form, read how to get ready for a home inspection when you're selling.
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