Honestly, I’ve found that even just clearing off the counters and making sure nothing’s blocking the sink or stove goes a long way. I used to stress about every tiny paint drip, but inspectors really do care more about safety stuff. Still, I always double-check outlets and make sure the GFCIs work—those seem to get flagged a lot. It’s easy to overlook the little things when you’re living in the mess, but a fresh set of eyes helps.
I used to stress about every tiny paint drip, but inspectors really do care more about safety stuff.
You nailed it. I’ve seen folks lose sleep over a smudge on the backsplash, meanwhile the inspector’s poking at the GFCI with that little tester like it’s the holy grail. Counters clear, nothing flammable on the stove, GFCIs clicking—honestly, that’s 90% of it. Paint drips? Just call them “character.” You’re doing better than you think.
I once spent an hour scrubbing a grout line because I thought the inspector would notice. He barely glanced at the floor but spent five minutes testing every outlet. Now I just make sure nothing’s blocking the fire extinguisher and call it good.
- Focus on what the inspector actually cares about—function and safety.
- I’ve seen folks go overboard with deep cleaning when inspectors barely even look, unless there’s something grossly obvious.
- Priorities:
- All outlets/switches working (test them yourself)
- GFCIs in kitchen and near water sources
- No exposed wiring or loose covers
- Smoke detector and CO alarms installed and working
- Fire extinguisher visible and accessible
- Under-sink plumbing tight, no leaks
- If you’re renovating green, make sure any eco materials (like reclaimed wood or low-VOC paint) are installed to code—sometimes inspectors get hung up on that.
- Stuff like grout lines or a little dust—they just don’t care unless it looks like a health hazard.
- Had an inspector once who was more interested in my recycled glass countertops than the fact that my cabinet doors were crooked. Go figure.
- Quick tip: run your appliances through a short cycle. Some check if the dishwasher or range actually works.
- Don’t stress about spotless—just make sure it’s safe, accessible, and nothing’s obviously broken.
Been there—last year, inspector was scheduled for 9am and my kitchen looked like a tornado hit a thrift store. I panicked, started scrubbing grout lines with a toothbrush, then realized halfway through: dude’s probably not going to care if there’s a crumb behind the toaster.
“Don’t stress about spotless—just make sure it’s safe, accessible, and nothing’s obviously broken.”
Seriously, this is the move. I ended up doing a “panic check” instead of a deep clean:
- Plugged in everything and flicked switches like I was defusing a bomb.
- Made sure the GFCIs didn’t trip (learned that lesson after one failed on me mid-inspection—awkward).
- Tightened the loose under-sink pipe with duct tape because, well, budget.
- Propped the fire extinguisher up front like it was on parade.
- Dusted off the smoke detector and did the beep test.
Inspector barely glanced at the counters. He did, however, open my dishwasher and ask if it worked. Good thing I ran it, because it coughed up some weird noise but at least turned on.
Moral: don’t waste your energy on spotless. Hide the pizza boxes, fix what’s obvious, and pray your appliances don’t embarrass you.
