So you’ve received the purchase offer on your home and accepted, signed, and selected your closing date. Your next step will be Offerpad’s home inspection process. We will schedule a time that works best for, and you have full rights to be present during the inspection. We’ve already learned quite a bit about your property when you submitted an offer request, so our main purpose is to simply verify the information you’ve already disclosed. Additionally, our team will determine if there are any other repairs that may need to be addressed prior to closing.
Depending on the conditions we discover, we may ask you to make a repair, or we may accept responsibility for the condition as-is with an agreement to receive a credit. If you select the easy option of having Offerpad take responsibility for the condition, we will include it within the list of items we may address, after we purchase the home.
To help, we’ve provided a guide that will give you an idea of the most common things our team is evaluating.
Things to do prior to home inspection
There are a few things that we need your help for a successful home inspection. Right off the bat, a tidy home with easy access is one of the most important things that you can do to prepare for our property inspection. Providing clear and safe access to the areas below will ensure an efficient inspection of your home. Also, it is wise to leave the utilities active until after the completion of the inspection – toilets must flush and electricity must flow for proper assessment.
ATTIC ACCESS
Please remove all personal items from under and around the attic access openings to provide room for our inspector. We will need the ability to have access to a pull-down staircase or room for our own ladder.
Side note, we suggest that clothes and other valuable items which could be made dirty by falling debris from the attic should be moved or protected with a covering.
ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, HVAC
Provide a clear path to and around electrical service panels. Reasonable access should be provided to receptacles and light switches in the kitchen and bathrooms for our electric inspection. We will also need access to and around your water heater and HVAC system.
GENERAL
Unlock fence gates to provide easier access to the back yard
Unlock storage sheds
Remove personal items from blocking exterior doors to provide proper egress and operation
We absolutely adore your furry family members, but during your inspection, please be sure to keep your pets in areas that we may not need access to.
Most common repair items found
High traffic areas are more likely to have suffered some wear and tear. Here is a breakdown of the most common repairs found by each room type.
KITCHEN
Malfunctioning appliances
Broken doors
Chipped, discolored or damaged countertops
Cracked tiles
Damaged cabinets
Non-working garbage disposals
BATHROOMS
Leaky or broken fixtures
Cracked tiles in showers
Chipped or highly discolored bathtubs
Reversed hot & cold fixtures
Malfunctioning overflows
ELECTRICAL
Non-functioning GFCI outlets to kitchens, bath, exteriors
Wiring that was not correctly installed or up to current code
Circuit breakers that are not in working condition
Double taps, damaged breakers, and defective brand panels
WINDOWS
Windows that don’t open or close, including broken locks
Broken seals
Foggy windows
DOORS & TRIM
Missing or damaged baseboards or door casing, damaged hardware or actual doors
FLOORING
Tears in carpeting, heavily damaged flooring
Flooring type or condition not as originally disclosed
Normal use is expected! We aren’t looking for perfection – if your carpet shows gentle use or needs cleaning – we’ve got that covered!”
WALLS & CEILINGS
Structural cracks
Large holes in drywall
Peeling paint
Water damage
Holes from pictures? No worries, we’ll take care of those!”
SMOKE DETECTORS
Broken or missing detectors
Smoke & monoxide detectors that 10+ years old
Missing batteries? We’ll take care of it!
ODORS
Smoke and pet-related odors may require replacement in carpet or paint to deodorize the home”
HVAC
Broken cooling system
Unsealed or broken ducts
HVAC units 12-15+ years
Broken cooling distribution system
WATER HEATER
Non-functional or broken water heater, or 12+ years old
Leaks, un-insulated or corroded pipes
PESTS
Presence of termites
Roof rats or other rodents
Roaches
Excessive pigeon activity on the roof
Beehives
GARAGE
Garage doors that are not operational, or have broken coil springs
Door equipment (including proper safety reversal)
Doors that have large dents or other cosmetic issues
Missing remote? No big deal, we got that!”
ATTIC
Broken trusses
Insufficient insulation
Basements
Non-functional sump pump
Walls buckling or bowing
Basement cracks
Mold
FOUNDATIONS
Any potential or implied issue with the foundation
Large settling cracks (¼” – ½” or more on the exterior)
Cracks in interior floors, walls
Significant settling
Horizontal cracks in the foundation
EAVES, SOFFITS & FASCIA
Water damage, peeling paint or missing pieces
ROOF
Broken or slipped tiles or caps
Missing or improperly installed shingles or nail holes
Shingles that have less than 3 years of remaining life
Underlayment with less than 3 years of useful life
FENCING / BLOCK WALL
Improper drainage in the yard (specifically drainage issues that direct water to the home foundation)
Missing blocks or planks (more common with Arizona real estate)
Missing fence (where it is required by local code or HOA)
Peeling or excessively faded paint
Termites or wood rot
Large cracks
DECK
Structural deck damage
Missing infill spacing (support column)
Water or termite damage
Anything causing structural integrity issues outside of the local code
SWIMMING POOL & SPA
Severely cracked or peeling plaster
Broken lights
Leaky connections or filter
Malfunctioning pool pumps
Unrepairable cool decking
Remember, you have the choice between giving Offerpad a credit towards repairs or having a licensed contractor make the repairs before closing. It’s always up to you.”
LANDSCAPING & IRRIGATION
Landscaping causing structural defects to the property
Trees or shrubs that touch roofing
Invasive tree roots
Drainage defect
Improper grading
Don’t let this list intimidate you! Nearly every home sold whether you choose the traditional route – or the simplicity of Offerpad – you will have a similar home inspection. At Offerpad, we evaluate every home on an individual basis. And remember, we are here to make the home sales process easy for you. So, you make the decision on how we move forward if any repairs are necessary.
Want to see the flow of selling your home to Offerpad? Do you have questions? Customer Success team is always ready to answer any questions, call us at 844-388-4539 and press 2.