{"id":958,"date":"2026-10-05T13:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T17:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/the-buyers-inspection-how-a-seller-prepares\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T20:27:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T00:27:23","slug":"the-buyers-inspection-how-a-seller-prepares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/the-buyers-inspection-how-a-seller-prepares\/","title":{"rendered":"The buyer\u2019s inspection: how a seller prepares"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube fusion-aligncenter\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u4OzKU9Tgh4?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0&amp;rel=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"ec-mention-ia\"><strong>About this video.<\/strong> The person on screen is an AI-generated avatar in my likeness. The voice is mine, cloned from recordings of my own voice, and the editing adjusts the sound. The image and the voice may therefore differ from my real appearance and delivery. The text is written and approved by me, and I take full responsibility for it. This process lets me publish regularly; it changes nothing about what is said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Hello. Everyone explains the pre-purchase inspection to the buyer. Almost no one explains it to the seller. Yet it happens at the seller\u2019s home.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ec-question\"><em>The question, as people ask it: \u201chow do I prepare for the buyer\u2019s inspection\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>How long it lasts, and in what order<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>On the day you sell, an inspector may spend a whole morning at your home. Here\u2019s the order in which they go through it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The inspector arrives with the buyer, and often with the buyer\u2019s broker. Allow several hours. Often a full morning. Sometimes half a day when the house is large, or when there\u2019s a garage and outbuildings to cover.<\/p>\n<p>The order is almost always the same. The exterior first. The roof and the envelope, looked at from the ground. Then the basement or the crawl space. Then the upper floors, room by room. The attic towards the end. And a discussion with the buyer to finish.<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t a decorative order. They start outside because what they see outside decides what they\u2019ll go look at inside.<\/p>\n<p>What that changes for you: you know at what time they\u2019ll be in which part of your house. You can plan your day accordingly, instead of putting up with it.<\/p>\n<h2>What the inspector does outside, before going in<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Before even entering your home, the inspector has already decided what to look at first.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Outside, around the house, the inspector starts with the lot. That\u2019s where they start, and it\u2019s the part sellers see the least.<\/p>\n<p>They walk all the way around the building, slowly. They look at the slope of the ground against the foundation. They look at where the downspouts discharge water. They look at the foundation wall, the part of the concrete that sticks out of the ground, looking for cracks, and they look at the parging or paint that covers it. They look at the exterior siding, the windows, the caulking, the flashing.<\/p>\n<p>The roof, they look at from the ground, often with binoculars. They also look at the bottom of the gutters, where granules collect.<\/p>\n<p>One clarification: the French drain, they don\u2019t see it. It\u2019s buried. No one sees it without excavating or without a camera. What an inspector observes outside are signs at the surface.<\/p>\n<p>When they finally go into the house, they already have their list of places to check. That list was made outside.<\/p>\n<h2>What they do in the basement<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>An inspector turns off your basement lights. It\u2019s not by accident.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the basement, they often turn off the ceiling lights and work with a flashlight, in raking light along the concrete walls. That\u2019s how a crack shows up. Under the ceiling lights, the same crack disappears.<\/p>\n<p>They look for rings on the concrete. Discoloration at the bottom of the walls. The whitish, powdery deposit called efflorescence. They look at the slab where it remains visible: the mechanical room, the storage space, behind the furnace.<\/p>\n<p>When the ceiling isn\u2019t finished, they look at the main beam, the columns, the joists. And at joists that have been drilled or notched to let a duct through.<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t say where a trace comes from. That link belongs to the drainage contractor for water, and to a structural engineer for cracks. The inspector observes, and writes it down.<\/p>\n<h2>What they do in the attic<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>There\u2019s a place in your home you haven\u2019t looked at in years. The inspector goes up there.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The attic \u2014 the space under the roof \u2014 is part of the inspection visit.<\/p>\n<p>The inspector goes up through the hatch, with a flashlight. Often, they don\u2019t go all the way in. When insulation covers the ceiling joists, they look from the opening, because walking on it would damage the ceiling below.<\/p>\n<p>They look at the wood of the roof underside and the trusses, looking for dark stains. They look at the nails: in winter, frost can form on them. They look at whether the insulation is compressed or pushed against the soffits. They look at whether the bathroom fan exhausts its air into the attic rather than outside.<\/p>\n<p>Two different trades read those observations. The stains on the wood and the condition of the shingles: that\u2019s a roofer. The frost and the condensation: that\u2019s a ventilation contractor.<\/p>\n<h2>Preparing access: the seller\u2019s list<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>There are seven things to clear in a house before a buyer\u2019s inspection. Here\u2019s the list, to prepare ahead of time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Preparing access is the seller\u2019s real task on the day of the buyer\u2019s inspection.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the electrical panel. The door must open all the way, without moving a shelf or a coat.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the attic hatch. Empty the closet below it if that\u2019s where it is. Remove what\u2019s sitting on top of the shelves.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the area around the furnace and the water heater. One metre clear all around is reasonable.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the basement walls as much as possible, especially where boxes are stacked against the concrete.<\/p>\n<p>In winter, clear the snow: around the house, the access to the shed, the garage door, the basement exit.<\/p>\n<p>Unlock everything. The shed, the detached garage, the crawl space hatch. Leave the keys on the table if need be.<\/p>\n<p>And leave the utilities on. Water, electricity, heating.<\/p>\n<h2>Your place during the visit<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>A seller who stays outside during the inspection lets the inspector work. Here\u2019s why.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That leaves your own place on the day of the buyer\u2019s inspection. The rule is simple: don\u2019t follow the inspector step by step, and don\u2019t comment on what they\u2019re looking at.<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t about hiding anything, and I want to be clear about that. You must answer honestly any question you\u2019re asked. Your seller\u2019s declarations remain your seller\u2019s declarations.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a question of roles. The inspector works for the buyer. They need to look calmly and take notes. A seller who explains everything live adds improvised words that no one will be able to verify afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>What works better: leave the house, or stay in a single room. A seller who is represented routes questions through their broker, and the answers are given in writing, afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>You answer what you\u2019re asked. You don\u2019t have to host the visit.<\/p>\n<h2>What the report contains, and the two words that keep coming up<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>Two words come up throughout an inspection report: not verified, and inaccessible.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A pre-purchase inspection report is a written document. The report describes what was observed, room by room and system by system. It contains photos. It contains recommendations to have certain items checked by specialized professionals \u2014 an engineer, a roofer, a master electrician, a plumber, as the case may be.<\/p>\n<p>And it contains two notes that keep coming up: \u201cnot verified\u201d and \u201cinaccessible\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Those words aren\u2019t evasive formulas. They\u2019re accurate. They mean the inspector couldn\u2019t see the item, and doesn\u2019t write down something they didn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n<p>What that means from the seller\u2019s point of view: every area left blocked becomes an \u201cinaccessible\u201d line in a document the buyer reads with their broker.<\/p>\n<p>A blocked area doesn\u2019t disappear from the report. It appears there as an unknown.<\/p>\n<h2>The same observations, six months earlier<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>The inspector creates nothing in your home. They write down what is already there today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The calendar, on the other hand, changes everything in a pre-purchase inspection.<\/p>\n<p>The buyer\u2019s inspector looks at the same foundation walls, the same slab, the same attic, the same electrical panel. The observations they could write down that day already exist today, in your home. Their visit doesn\u2019t create them. It puts them in writing.<\/p>\n<p>The only thing you control is when you, yourself, know about them.<\/p>\n<p>The same observations six months before listing, or three weeks before the notary, aren\u2019t the same information. It\u2019s the same observation, not the same calendar.<\/p>\n<p>Six months before, you call the expert of your choice, you get their opinion in writing, and you decide what to do with it. Three weeks before the notary, you\u2019re answering on someone else\u2019s timeline.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not a question of seriousness. No one can say before the right expert has looked at it. It\u2019s a question of timing.<\/p>\n<h2>Who to call, and for what<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ec-reponse\"><strong>I don\u2019t do the inspection. My role is to know where to look and who to call.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Structural engineer<\/li>\n<li>Roofer<\/li>\n<li>Ventilation contractor<\/li>\n<li>Master electrician (CMEQ)<\/li>\n<li>Plumber<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"accordian fusion-accordian\" style=\"--awb-border-size:1px;--awb-icon-size:16px;--awb-content-font-size:var(--awb-typography4-font-size);--awb-icon-alignment:left;--awb-hover-color:var(--awb-color2);--awb-border-color:var(--awb-color3);--awb-background-color:var(--awb-color1);--awb-divider-color:var(--awb-color3);--awb-divider-hover-color:var(--awb-color3);--awb-icon-color:var(--awb-color1);--awb-title-color:var(--awb-color8);--awb-content-color:var(--awb-color8);--awb-icon-box-color:var(--awb-color8);--awb-toggle-hover-accent-color:var(--awb-color5);--awb-title-font-family:var(--awb-typography1-font-family);--awb-title-font-weight:var(--awb-typography1-font-weight);--awb-title-font-style:var(--awb-typography1-font-style);--awb-title-font-size:16px;--awb-title-letter-spacing:0.01em;--awb-title-line-height:1.35;--awb-content-font-family:var(--awb-typography4-font-family);--awb-content-font-weight:var(--awb-typography4-font-weight);--awb-content-font-style:var(--awb-typography4-font-style);\"><div class=\"panel-group fusion-toggle-icon-boxed\" id=\"accordion-958-1\"><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-ad6df51500500fff9 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_ad6df51500500fff9\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"ad6df51500500fff9\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#ad6df51500500fff9\" href=\"#ad6df51500500fff9\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">How do I prepare for the buyer\u2019s inspection?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"ad6df51500500fff9\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_ad6df51500500fff9\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Hello. Everyone explains the pre-purchase inspection to the buyer. Almost no one explains it to the seller. Yet it happens at the seller\u2019s home.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-70739278cfa15c37c fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_70739278cfa15c37c\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"70739278cfa15c37c\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#70739278cfa15c37c\" href=\"#70739278cfa15c37c\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">The buyer\u2019s inspection: how the visit unfolds<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"70739278cfa15c37c\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_70739278cfa15c37c\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">On the day you sell, an inspector may spend a whole morning at your home. Here\u2019s the order in which they go through it.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b\" href=\"#d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">The inspector starts outside \u2014 and here\u2019s why<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_d0e2f67cfb5db8f9b\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Before even entering your home, the inspector has already decided what to look at first.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-1dedf4ca8eda346a3 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_1dedf4ca8eda346a3\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"1dedf4ca8eda346a3\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#1dedf4ca8eda346a3\" href=\"#1dedf4ca8eda346a3\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Why the inspector turns off your basement lights<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"1dedf4ca8eda346a3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_1dedf4ca8eda346a3\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">An inspector turns off your basement lights. It\u2019s not by accident.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-6cc7a5fcd34552ba8 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_6cc7a5fcd34552ba8\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"6cc7a5fcd34552ba8\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#6cc7a5fcd34552ba8\" href=\"#6cc7a5fcd34552ba8\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Attic: what an inspector looks at<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"6cc7a5fcd34552ba8\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_6cc7a5fcd34552ba8\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">There\u2019s a place in your home you haven\u2019t looked at in years. The inspector goes up there.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-47b37430261e4a149 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_47b37430261e4a149\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"47b37430261e4a149\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#47b37430261e4a149\" href=\"#47b37430261e4a149\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">The checklist before the buyer\u2019s inspection<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"47b37430261e4a149\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_47b37430261e4a149\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">There are seven things to clear in a house before a buyer\u2019s inspection. Here\u2019s the list, to prepare ahead of time.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-27fdf48e060cbc95c fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_27fdf48e060cbc95c\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"27fdf48e060cbc95c\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#27fdf48e060cbc95c\" href=\"#27fdf48e060cbc95c\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">Why a seller doesn\u2019t follow the inspector step by step<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"27fdf48e060cbc95c\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_27fdf48e060cbc95c\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">A seller who stays outside during the inspection lets the inspector work. Here\u2019s why.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-d060e34fcd8b5f03e fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_d060e34fcd8b5f03e\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"d060e34fcd8b5f03e\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#d060e34fcd8b5f03e\" href=\"#d060e34fcd8b5f03e\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">\u201cNot verified\u201d and \u201cinaccessible\u201d: what they mean<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"d060e34fcd8b5f03e\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_d060e34fcd8b5f03e\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">Two words come up throughout an inspection report: not verified, and inaccessible.<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-panel panel-default panel-0de4a528c98ec2672 fusion-toggle-has-divider\"><div class=\"panel-heading\"><h4 class=\"panel-title toggle\" id=\"toggle_0de4a528c98ec2672\"><a aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"0de4a528c98ec2672\" role=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordion-958-1\" data-target=\"#0de4a528c98ec2672\" href=\"#0de4a528c98ec2672\"><span class=\"fusion-toggle-icon-wrapper\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"fa-fusion-box active-icon awb-icon-minus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><i class=\"fa-fusion-box inactive-icon awb-icon-plus\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><span class=\"fusion-toggle-heading\">The inspection creates nothing: it puts things in writing<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div><div id=\"0de4a528c98ec2672\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse \" aria-labelledby=\"toggle_0de4a528c98ec2672\"><div class=\"panel-body toggle-content fusion-clearfix\">The inspector creates nothing in your home. They write down what is already there today.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Get a value report for your property, and a marketing plan<\/h2>\n<p>Get a value report for your property, and a marketing plan \u2014 comparables, features, opinion of value<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-button-wrapper\"><a class=\"fusion-button button-flat button-large button-default fusion-button-default button-1 fusion-button-default-span fusion-button-default-type\" style=\"--awb-margin-top:6px;--awb-margin-bottom:6px;--button_text_transform:uppercase;\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Request a value report\" aria-label=\"Request a value report\" href=\"\/en\/contact\/\"><span class=\"fusion-button-text awb-button__text awb-button__text--default\">Request my value report<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Full video transcript<\/h2>\n<p><em>Full transcript of the video above, translated from French. Published October 5, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Hello. Everyone explains the pre-purchase inspection to the buyer. Almost no one explains it to the seller. Yet it happens at the seller\u2019s home.<\/p>\n<p>My name is Ernso Cl\u00e9us. I\u2019m a residential and commercial real estate broker with RE\/MAX Crystal. Before becoming a broker, I earned a diploma in building inspection technology.<\/p>\n<p>How to choose an inspector, and what an inspection doesn\u2019t cover, are or will be the subject of a separate video on my channel.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not going to tell you whether it\u2019s serious, or what it costs. I\u2019m going to tell you how it works, and which expert to call to understand an observation.<\/p>\n<h3>How long it lasts, and in what order<\/h3>\n<p>The inspector arrives with the buyer, and often with the buyer\u2019s broker. Allow several hours. Often a full morning. Sometimes half a day when the house is large, or when there\u2019s a garage and outbuildings to cover.<\/p>\n<p>The order is almost always the same. The exterior first. The roof and the envelope, looked at from the ground. Then the basement or the crawl space. Then the upper floors, room by room. The attic towards the end. And a discussion with the buyer to finish.<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t a decorative order. They start outside because what they see outside decides what they\u2019ll go look at inside.<\/p>\n<p>What that changes for you: you know at what time they\u2019ll be in which part of your house. You can plan your day accordingly, instead of putting up with it.<\/p>\n<h3>What the inspector does outside, before going in<\/h3>\n<p>Outside, around the house, the inspector starts with the lot. That\u2019s where they start, and it\u2019s the part sellers see the least.<\/p>\n<p>They walk all the way around the building, slowly. They look at the slope of the ground against the foundation. They look at where the downspouts discharge water. They look at the foundation wall, the part of the concrete that sticks out of the ground, looking for cracks, and they look at the parging or paint that covers it. They look at the exterior siding, the windows, the caulking, the flashing.<\/p>\n<p>The roof, they look at from the ground, often with binoculars. They also look at the bottom of the gutters, where granules collect.<\/p>\n<p>One clarification: the French drain, they don\u2019t see it. It\u2019s buried. No one sees it without excavating or without a camera. What an inspector observes outside are signs at the surface.<\/p>\n<p>When they finally go into the house, they already have their list of places to check. That list was made outside.<\/p>\n<h3>What they do in the basement<\/h3>\n<p>In the basement, they often turn off the ceiling lights and work with a flashlight, in raking light along the concrete walls. That\u2019s how a crack shows up. Under the ceiling lights, the same crack disappears.<\/p>\n<p>They look for rings on the concrete. Discoloration at the bottom of the walls. The whitish, powdery deposit called efflorescence. They look at the slab where it remains visible: the mechanical room, the storage space, behind the furnace.<\/p>\n<p>When the ceiling isn\u2019t finished, they look at the main beam, the columns, the joists. And at joists that have been drilled or notched to let a duct through.<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t say where a trace comes from. That link belongs to the drainage contractor for water, and to a structural engineer for cracks. The inspector observes, and writes it down.<\/p>\n<h3>What they do in the attic<\/h3>\n<p>The attic \u2014 the space under the roof \u2014 is part of the inspection visit.<\/p>\n<p>The inspector goes up through the hatch, with a flashlight. Often, they don\u2019t go all the way in. When insulation covers the ceiling joists, they look from the opening, because walking on it would damage the ceiling below.<\/p>\n<p>They look at the wood of the roof underside and the trusses, looking for dark stains. They look at the nails: in winter, frost can form on them. They look at whether the insulation is compressed or pushed against the soffits. They look at whether the bathroom fan exhausts its air into the attic rather than outside.<\/p>\n<p>Two different trades read those observations. The stains on the wood and the condition of the shingles: that\u2019s a roofer. The frost and the condensation: that\u2019s a ventilation contractor.<\/p>\n<h3>Preparing access: the seller\u2019s list<\/h3>\n<p>Preparing access is the seller\u2019s real task on the day of the buyer\u2019s inspection.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the electrical panel. The door must open all the way, without moving a shelf or a coat.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the attic hatch. Empty the closet below it if that\u2019s where it is. Remove what\u2019s sitting on top of the shelves.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the area around the furnace and the water heater. One metre clear all around is reasonable.<\/p>\n<p>Clear the basement walls as much as possible, especially where boxes are stacked against the concrete.<\/p>\n<p>In winter, clear the snow: around the house, the access to the shed, the garage door, the basement exit.<\/p>\n<p>Unlock everything. The shed, the detached garage, the crawl space hatch. Leave the keys on the table if need be.<\/p>\n<p>And leave the utilities on. Water, electricity, heating.<\/p>\n<h3>Your place during the visit<\/h3>\n<p>That leaves your own place on the day of the buyer\u2019s inspection. The rule is simple: don\u2019t follow the inspector step by step, and don\u2019t comment on what they\u2019re looking at.<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t about hiding anything, and I want to be clear about that. You must answer honestly any question you\u2019re asked. Your seller\u2019s declarations remain your seller\u2019s declarations.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a question of roles. The inspector works for the buyer. They need to look calmly and take notes. A seller who explains everything live adds improvised words that no one will be able to verify afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>What works better: leave the house, or stay in a single room. A seller who is represented routes questions through their broker, and the answers are given in writing, afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>You answer what you\u2019re asked. You don\u2019t have to host the visit.<\/p>\n<h3>What the report contains, and the two words that keep coming up<\/h3>\n<p>A pre-purchase inspection report is a written document. The report describes what was observed, room by room and system by system. It contains photos. It contains recommendations to have certain items checked by specialized professionals \u2014 an engineer, a roofer, a master electrician, a plumber, as the case may be.<\/p>\n<p>And it contains two notes that keep coming up: \u201cnot verified\u201d and \u201cinaccessible\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Those words aren\u2019t evasive formulas. They\u2019re accurate. They mean the inspector couldn\u2019t see the item, and doesn\u2019t write down something they didn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n<p>What that means from the seller\u2019s point of view: every area left blocked becomes an \u201cinaccessible\u201d line in a document the buyer reads with their broker.<\/p>\n<p>A blocked area doesn\u2019t disappear from the report. It appears there as an unknown.<\/p>\n<h3>The same observations, six months earlier<\/h3>\n<p>The calendar, on the other hand, changes everything in a pre-purchase inspection.<\/p>\n<p>The buyer\u2019s inspector looks at the same foundation walls, the same slab, the same attic, the same electrical panel. The observations they could write down that day already exist today, in your home. Their visit doesn\u2019t create them. It puts them in writing.<\/p>\n<p>The only thing you control is when you, yourself, know about them.<\/p>\n<p>The same observations six months before listing, or three weeks before the notary, aren\u2019t the same information. It\u2019s the same observation, not the same calendar.<\/p>\n<p>Six months before, you call the expert of your choice, you get their opinion in writing, and you decide what to do with it. Three weeks before the notary, you\u2019re answering on someone else\u2019s timeline.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not a question of seriousness. No one can say before the right expert has looked at it. It\u2019s a question of timing.<\/p>\n<p>A pre-purchase inspection is prepared beforehand, not that morning. Clearing access is your only task.<\/p>\n<p>A seller\u2019s first question is still the value of their property. I produce a value report and a marketing plan. You can request it through the links below the video.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re already bound by a brokerage contract with another broker, this invitation isn\u2019t meant for you.<\/p>\n<p>The buyer\u2019s inspection is never done by me. What I can do is walk through your house with you, before your seller\u2019s declarations.<\/p>\n<p>For a pre-listing inspection, the decision and the choice of inspector are yours. If you ask me for names, I give three, or I refer you to the inspectors\u2019 associations. With no compensation.<\/p>\n<p>Ernso Cl\u00e9us, residential and commercial real estate broker, RE\/MAX Crystal. Your broker who knows buildings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ec-maillage\">Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/how-to-choose-a-home-inspector-in-quebec\/\">how to choose a home inspector in Quebec<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/should-you-get-your-house-inspected-before-selling\/\">should you get your house inspected before selling<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/what-to-check-before-putting-your-house-on-the-market\/\">what to check before listing<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/ernsocleus.com\/en\/contact\/\">get in touch<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Ernso Cl\u00e9us<\/strong>, residential and commercial real estate broker \u2014 RE\/MAX Crystal. Your broker who knows buildings.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About this video. The person on screen is an AI-generated  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vendre"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The buyer\u2019s home inspection: how a seller prepares<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What an inspector actually does in your home, in what order, and what they don\u2019t do. 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