"But seriously, do inspectors really care much about the mess if you're clearly organized and have your paperwork ready?"
Honestly, from my experience, most inspectors aren't too bothered by a bit of clutter as long as they can easily access what they're checking out. Had one inspector step over paint cans and tools without batting an eye—he was laser-focused on wiring and plumbing. But another time, a different inspector got pretty annoyed tripping over extension cords...so maybe clear pathways matter more than tidy counters? Seems like it depends a lot on the inspector's personality.
Had a similar experience last year—my kitchen was chaos, boxes everywhere from a DIY project. Inspector barely glanced at the mess, just asked me to move a couple things blocking the electrical panel. Seems like accessibility matters way more than tidiness.
"Inspector barely glanced at the mess, just asked me to move a couple things blocking the electrical panel."
Had something similar happen when I was flipping a house last summer. Kitchen looked like a tornado hit—tools everywhere, paint cans stacked up—but the inspector didn't bat an eye at the clutter. He did, however, zero in on the blocked outlets and plumbing access under the sink. Seems like inspectors mostly care about safety and clear access points rather than general neatness... maybe tidiness is more for our own sanity?
Had a similar experience myself when we renovated our kitchen a couple years back. I spent hours tidying up the countertops, stacking tools neatly, and even dusting off the cabinets (why did I think they'd care about cabinet dust?). Inspector walks in, barely notices my pristine counters, and immediately points out that the fridge was too close to the electrical panel. Lesson learned: inspectors don't care if your kitchen looks Instagram-ready—they just want to make sure you're not accidentally creating a fire hazard or blocking emergency shut-offs. Now whenever inspection day rolls around, I just clear paths to outlets, panels, and plumbing access points and call it good. Saves me time—and sanity.
"inspectors don't care if your kitchen looks Instagram-ready—they just want to make sure you're not accidentally creating a fire hazard or blocking emergency shut-offs."
This is spot-on advice. When we had our inspection last year, I initially panicked about the clutter and aesthetics too. But after some research, I realized inspectors are primarily concerned with safety and compliance issues rather than tidiness or decor. My suggestion would be to focus your limited time on ensuring clear access to critical areas like electrical panels, plumbing shut-offs, gas valves, and ventilation points. Also, double-check appliance spacing requirements—especially around ovens and fridges—to avoid any surprises. Tidying up is nice for peace of mind, but it's definitely secondary to making sure nothing important is blocked or unsafe. Prioritize function over form here... it'll save you stress and probably some unnecessary cleaning effort as well.
