Selling a home can be a wild ride! There's a lot to think about, from pricing to marketing to finding the perfect buyer. But there's one crucial step that sellers often overlook: pre-inspections.
Pre-inspections are like a check-up for your home. A licensed home inspector will come in and take a look at all the essential components of your property, from the foundation to the roof to the plumbing and electrical systems. After they're done, they'll provide a report highlighting any problems they found.
Pre-inspections can give you a better understanding of your home's condition. The report can help you figure out what repairs or maintenance may be necessary before selling. This can help ensure that your home is in tip-top shape, which can attract more potential buyers and potentially increase the selling price.
But, even if you don't make all the repairs from the inspection report, pre-inspections can save you time and money! How? Knowing what's going on in your home helps you and your agent to price your home appropriately, and sharing the report with potential buyers allows you to disclose any issues before a they are found by a buyer's inspector. If you wait until a buyer's inspector discovers a problem, you could end up having to negotiate a lower selling price, or even losing the sale altogether. By identifying any issues upfront, you can take care of them quickly and potentially avoid delays in the sale.
You may be wondering, "Why would I want to draw attention to defects in my home? Shouldn't I be highlighting the good parts if I'm trying to sell?" Here's the thing: disclosing known defects to buyers is a contractual obligation, and not doing so is not only morally questionable, but leaves you vulnerable to potential lawsuits down the line. It is much better to be upfront and transparent about any issues with your home so that buyers can make informed decisions and won't feel like they're being misled.
Another benefit of pre-inspections is that they can build trust with potential buyers. By conducting a pre-inspection, you're showing that you're upfront and honest about the condition of your home. This can give buyers peace of mind and make them more comfortable with the purchase.
So, get ahead of the game and have a pre-inspection done before you put your home on the market! While there is a marginal upfront cost, they can give you a better understanding of your home's condition, save you time and money, build trust with buyers, and speed up the selling process.
NOTE TO BUYERS: TRUST, BUT VERIFY While seller-provided pre-inspections are certainly helpful, it's important to remember that buyers should always get their own inspections too. A pre-inspection report can give buyers an idea of any potential problems, but it's not a substitute for a thorough inspection by a licensed inspector of their own choosing. Sadly, we have encountered a few seller-provided inspections that have seemed a bit...incomplete. Getting your own inspection as a buyer allows you to confirm the seller's inspection, and, if desired, to ask your inspector or a specialist to look at something a little closer to give you a better understanding of an issue so you feel confident about the condition of the home. Surprise repairs after move-in are never fun. 🙃
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