We’re the shop on South Main in Crown Point. Love Thy Neighbor. Call (219) 801-0432.
This page is Realest’s DIY home inspection checklist for sellers listing in Northwest Indiana and the Illinois towns we work. Walk your own house like a careful buyer with a flashlight before photo day. A shop walk so inspection week surprises you less. Not a warranty pitch or a remodel wish list.
Our office is at 112 S. Main St., Suite B, Crown Point, IN 46307. We are licensed in Indiana and Illinois. We list across Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties, plus Homewood, Orland Park, Flossmoor, and Lansing when the Illinois side fits. Start on Sell or Learn Selling. This post is the buyer-eye walk-through.
Why sellers walk the house before the inspector does
A Crown Point seller once called the week after photos, sure the house was “fine.” The buyer’s inspector found attic staining around a bath fan, a sticky patio door that would not latch, dead GFCI outlets in the garage, and a sump that had not run a test cycle in years. None of that was a secret. The seller had just stopped noticing.
That is the shop habit on listing intake. Buyers in Munster, Valparaiso, Merrillville, Schererville, Dyer, Hobart, St. John, and the Illinois-line towns we work still inspect. They clock roof lines, basement smell, sticky doors, and outlet covers before they clock granite. Your DIY walk will not replace a licensed inspector. It will give you a cleaner disclosure week and fewer Saturday-morning surprises.
If you still need the broader fix-vs-leave list, read What to Fix Before You List. Read a living guide when the town question is still open. For example Living in Crown Point or Living in Munster. Crossing the state line? Read Illinois to Indiana relocation on Real Estate USA, then call the shop for representation.
How to use this checklist (one afternoon)
Block two to three hours. Phone flashlight on. Notebook open. Walk exterior first, then attic or crawl if you can reach them safely, then basement, then living floors, then garage. Mark three columns: fix before list, disclose and price, leave alone.
Do not climb a roof you cannot safely reach. Do not open a panel you are not comfortable with. Hire a licensed pro for anything that feels unsafe. This is seller prep, not a license to DIY electrical or structural work.
When you want a Realtor walking the shortlist of what buyers are actually writing against nearby listings, search live inventory on Search homes on Realest.com, then call (219) 801-0432.
DIY seller inspection walk: exterior and roof line, attic stains, water and sump, GFCI and panel access, HVAC, sticky doors and windows, safety devices, service records.
1. Roof line, gutters, and attic stains
From the yard (binoculars help): missing or curled shingles, soft spots you can see as dips, chimney flashing that looks pulled, gutters pulling away or stuffed with last fall’s leaves.
Inside the attic if access is safe: daylight through the deck, dark rings around bath-fan boots, damp insulation, musty smell, animal droppings, blocked soffit vents. Attic stains are one of the first things a careful Northwest Indiana buyer photographs. Note the location even if the stain looks old and dry.
Usually fix or service before list: active leaks, overflowing gutters that dump water at the foundation, attic fan or bath fan ducts that dump moist air into the attic instead of outside.
Often disclose / price: old staining with a dated repair receipt and no current wetness.
2. Exterior shell, grading, and first-photo curb
Walk the perimeter after a rain if you can. Standing water against the foundation, negative grade toward the house, cracked or hollow-sounding sidewalks at the entry, peeling trim at window sills, spalling brick near grade.
Curb is half the first listing photo in Lake and Porter mud weeks. Grass edged, trash cans put away, mailbox upright, porch light that works at dusk. You do not need a landscaper’s dream. You need “someone lives here and cares.”
3. Basement, crawl, and sump
Smell first. Damp, sewer, or moldy smell that you have been living past is a discount buyers take before they open the report.
Look for: efflorescence or water lines on block walls, soft rim joists, rust at the bottom of water heaters or softener tanks, dehumidifier that never shuts off, crawl vapor barrier torn or missing.
Sump: Does the pump exist where the neighborhood expects one? Plug it in. Lift the float or pour a bucket. Does it discharge outside and away from the foundation? Is the discharge line cracked or buried under ice risk in winter? A dead sump is a classic Northwest Indiana inspection flag after spring melt.
4. Electrical access and GFCI
Clear the path to the main panel. Label what you can read. Note double-tapped breakers you can see without removing the dead front if you are not qualified to open it.
Test GFCI outlets in kitchen, baths, garage, and exterior. Press TEST, then RESET. Dead GFCI covers and open junction boxes photograph badly and read as deferred maintenance.
Sparking outlets, breakers that trip on a normal load, and extension-cord “permanents” belong in the fix-before-list column or a licensed electrician visit before you go live.
5. Plumbing, water heater, and shutoffs
Run every sink and tub. Flush every toilet. Look under every cabinet for soft floors, staining, or active drips. Check the water heater age sticker, T&P discharge path, and whether the area around it is dry.
Know where the main water shutoff is. Buyers and inspectors will ask. Sellers who guess lose trust in the first ten minutes of inspection week.
6. HVAC and filter honesty
Change the filter before showings if it is clogged. Note last service date for furnace and A/C if you have records. Listen for short-cycling. Look at the condensate line and pan for algae or overflow stains.
A dated but working system with service records often beats a brand-new unit you cannot finish paying for before closing. Ask the shop for comps on your block before you replace equipment for list day alone.
7. Windows, sticky doors, and latches
Open and close every window and exterior door. Sticky patio doors, doors that will not latch, windows painted shut, and fogged double-pane glass are buyer-eye items that do not need a moisture meter to spot.
Northwest Indiana houses settle. Sticky does not always mean structural crisis. It does mean the buyer will ask. Fix what you can (rollers, strikes, weatherstrip). Disclose what you cannot finish before photos.
8. Kitchen and bath function (not a remodel brief)
Run the disposal. Test the dishwasher fill if you use it. Check caulk lines at tubs and showers. Exhaust fans should vent, not just rattle.
This is not a call to gut the kitchen. Clean, working, and leak-free usually beats a half-finished upgrade. Read What to Fix Before You List for the broader cosmetic vs systems tradeoff.
9. Smoke, CO, and trip hazards
Confirm smoke and carbon monoxide detectors where your local code and common sense expect them. Replace dead batteries. Fix loose handrails and missing stair tread grips. Clear extension cords from walk paths for showings.
Safety items are cheap trust. They are also easy inspection notes.
10. Garage, driveway, and panel of “we might need that”
Garage door opener remotes, auto-reverse test, oil stains that look active, roof leaks over the parking bay, and a wall of unlabeled boxes that block the water heater or panel. Declutter enough that an inspector can reach what they need without climbing your storage life.
11. Paper buyers (and inspectors) respect
Gather what you have: furnace/AC service tickets, roof invoices, sewer scope if you ever ran one, appliance ages you know, HOA docs if any, survey if you have it, and a clear list of known defects for disclosure.
Indiana and Illinois both have seller disclosure rules. Ask us which Indiana seller’s disclosure form fits your sale, and talk to a real estate attorney if you are not sure what to disclose. Do not hide known defects. An honest note on day one kills fewer deals than a surprise on inspection day. A Realtor at Realest will walk what belongs on the disclosure for your file. That is shop process, not brochure language.
Honest tradeoffs (say them out loud)
- A DIY walk is prep, not a substitute for the buyer’s licensed inspection.
- Fixing every cosmetic item rarely returns like dry attic, working sump, and latching doors do.
- Over-disclosing rumor is not the same as honest known defects. Stick to what you know and what a pro told you.
- Listing before you clear active leaks or dead safety devices usually costs more in credits than the repair would have.
- Illinois-line and seat-square streets are not the same buyer pool. Price and prep the block you own.
Who this checklist fits (and who should wait)
Strong fit
- Sellers with a real list timeline who can spend one afternoon with a flashlight
- Owners willing to fund safety, water, and latch issues before cosmetic vanity projects
- Households listing in Lake, Porter, or LaPorte, or Illinois towns we work (Homewood, Orland Park, Flossmoor, Lansing)
- Neighbors who want inspection week to feel boring
Maybe wait or adjust
- Mid-gut renovations with no finish date. Finish or stage the unfinished zone before photos
- Sellers who cannot provide attic, panel, or sump access. Limited access needs a clearer plan and often a sharper price
- Anyone treating this list as a warranty product or a guaranteed pass. We do not sell that
FAQ
Should I do a DIY home inspection before listing in Northwest Indiana?
Yes, as seller prep. Walk exterior, attic (if safe), basement/sump, electrical GFCI, plumbing, HVAC, sticky doors, and safety devices before photo day. It does not replace the buyer’s licensed inspector. Call Realest at (219) 801-0432 for a listing walk on your address.
What do buyers’ inspectors flag most often on Northwest Indiana listings?
Active moisture (attic stains, basement water lines, sump problems), electrical GFCI and panel access issues, roof and gutter failures, HVAC deferred service, and doors or windows that will not latch. Exact flags vary by house. Ask the shop what recent inspection weeks looked like on your pocket.
Do I need a pre-listing professional inspection?
Not always. A careful DIY walk plus service records is enough for many sellers. A pre-listing pro inspection can help on older stock, prior water claims, or when you want fewer unknowns before you price. Weigh cost and timing with the shop.
What should I fix versus disclose before I list?
Fix active leaks, dead safety devices, non-latching exterior doors you can service, and obvious trip hazards when you can finish before photos. Disclose known defects you will not repair. Do not hide. Call (219) 801-0432 for comps-aware guidance on your address.
Can Realest list my Illinois home after I walk this checklist?
If the address is in an Illinois town we work (including Homewood, Orland Park, Flossmoor, and Lansing), yes. We are licensed in Illinois. Call (219) 801-0432 to confirm fit. Read Illinois to Indiana relocation if the move crosses the line.
How do I start a listing conversation with Realest?
Call (219) 801-0432 or email saso@realest.com. Start on Sell or Contact, and read the Learn Selling guide. Share the address, your timeline, and your DIY notes. If you also need to buy, search homes on Realest.com. Hours 9am to 8pm daily at 112 S. Main St., Suite B, Crown Point, IN 46307.
A simple next step
Walk the curb at dusk. Open the attic hatch if it is safe. Test the sump. Press every GFCI. Open the sticky door you have been ignoring. Write three fixes that would change inspection week. Bring that list to Suite B. Do not start a kitchen you cannot finish before photo day.
Talk to the shop
Realest. 112 S. Main St., Suite B, Crown Point, IN 46307
(219) 801-0432 | saso@realest.com
Hours 9am-8pm daily | Love Thy Neighbor
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