PRE LISTING INSPECTION

90% of a successful sale is born in the planning and preparation that takes place before we even go to market. We believe a pre listing inspection is a critical part of the recipe for that success. It’s this outside the box thinking that has provided our seller clients an edge against the competition over the years.

 

We also recognize that the initial thought of doing an inspection before you sell your home creates anxiety for some sellers. Completely understandable, yet we are confident that having one done will actually provide you some peace of mind! Here’s why…

Removing the Unknown

It’s safe to assume that a buyer who purchases your home will perform an inspection, as it’s the most common contingency found in any contract. Some common fears/questions we often address with our sellers:

 

“I think everything should be ok, but I’m still nervous wondering what will they find. Maybe there’s something wrong with our home that we don’t know about.”

 

“If they find any problems during the inspection, will they still want to purchase our home?”

 

“We’re supposed to close in 2 weeks…if something comes up in the inspection, will that hold up our closing?”

 

By having a pre listing inspection done, you’ll have a chance to consult with us on the findings, the impact they may have on potential buyers and what the most appropriate solution is, if needed.

 

A major benefit of having an inspection done before you list your home for sale is that it enables you to maintain some control of the inspection process, which will help reduce that anxiety!

 

Anytime we can eliminate the unknowns in the sale process, it’s going to benefit you as a seller. If we have an inspection done before we come to market, we’ll have a clear picture of what the findings were and how those could potentially impact a buyer’s decision. If the inspector’s findings include some hot button items, we can counsel with you and decide how to address those issues before coming to market. You will have control over the solution, the person doing the work and the cost involved.

Without discovering potential issues prior to listing your home for sale, you lose that control and the buyer begins to direct the show. They will be in a position to leverage any concerns they find by driving what the proposed solution is and, in some cases, who they want to do the repairs. Their leverage comes from knowing that if you don’t agree to their requests, they can simply rescind the contract and move on to another home. Why would you want to be exposed to those potential pitfalls?

Marketing Benefits

Being able to provide a pre listing inspection to potential buyers as part of our marketing strategy can benefit you in multiple ways. It’s our experience in working with buyers that it’s often easier for them to commit to a home if they have an inspection available for review before writing an offer. It works to provide them assurances from a couple different angles. First, it makes them feel that you’re not hiding anything. They find considerable value in the fact that you’re confident enough to have an inspector examine your house from head to toe and share those findings with potential buyers. Second, we will stand out among the competition that choses not to have an inspection done. That may go a long way in getting a buyer to commit to writing an offer on your home. The more objections we can clear in the beginning, the smoother the path for buyers. The smoother the path, the more interest we’ll see among buyers!

“If I have an inspection done before I sell, I’ll be required to disclose any material findings”.

True! However, you’ll be required to disclose anyways, once a buyer finds them and chooses to rescind the contract. You’ll also probably decide to fix those issues before coming back to market. Why not find potential roadblocks to a successful sale early in the process and address them up front to avoid headaches down the road?

 

“Why would I spend an extra $500-$800 to have my home inspected if a buyer is going to do it anyways?”

Not knowing what the buyer will find can cost you far more than what you pay for an inspection. What if they find a “surprise” we could have addressed before coming to market? It could mean you spend far more by scrambling to find a last minute expensive contractor to fix the problem, have to provide a deep discount or credit to the buyer or maybe even a have them rescind the contract. Protect yourself from the unknown!

 

“We bought our house 3 years ago, had an inspection done and everything checked out fine. We don’t need to do another inspection.”

When is the last time you crawled under your house, tip toed through your attic or walked your roof? For most sellers, the answer is never. A lot can change since you bought…give yourself piece of mind by having a current picture of anything that may have changed since you purchased and the confidence in knowing there will be no surprises for the buyer.