Should you, as the Seller of the property, be home during the inspection?
This is a question I get often. While every situation is different, typically I would answer this with a big fat “no”.
Inspectors spend several hours going through the entire property. Some of what they include in the inspection report is simply informational for the new buyer. Some may be items of deficiency. Either way, it will look like the inspector is taking copious amounts of notes and the tendency is for sellers to get anxious or even to start arguing with the inspector. Following the inspector around the whole time will only interfere with his/her work.
At the end of the inspection, most buyers will do a walkthrough of the home with the inspector to discuss the items. At bare minimum, sellers should not be present for this walkthrough. Give the buyers, inspector, and/or agent some space to talk freely. You want them to feel comfortable in the home. Crowding them, joining in, or contradicting the inspector will only make things awkward and the last thing we want is for the buyer to get an “icky feeling” when they still have the opportunity to cancel during their inspection period.
Have I ever broken this rule myself when selling my own properties? No, I have not! I have, however, as the Agent representing the Seller, been present during the inspection. This has only occurred on a few occasions and is usually in luxury homes with a lot of components (such as dumb-waiters, extensive smart home features that are all app controlled, etc). Even in these situations, I have been present to assist the inspector when they need it. Other than that, I stay out of their way and quietly work on my computer in the corner. When the Buyers arrive for their walkthrough, I will either leave or at minimum step out so they can speak freely with their inspector and/or agent.
In the end, my advice to Sellers is not be home during the inspection at all. Take a break. Get some fresh air. Give them space and trust your professional agent to handle any situation that arises from the inspection.
Leave a Reply