Thinking about selling your home?
The buyer will probably get a home inspection.
If that’s making you a little nervous, let me help.
I suggest that you hire House Exam Inspection to inspect the home for you, the seller. I know what you’re thinking: If you “know” about any problems, you’ll have to disclose it, right? Honestly, I’m not sure. And since I don’t have a real estate sales license, I’ll let your agent answer that question. As a veteran home inspector, I’d rather four practical reasons to have a “pre-listing” inspection.
First, it’s all about being proactive. “Big Ticket” items are the show-stoppers in a potential sale. And in my experience, most sellers get surprised by things they didn’t know about their own house. It happens time and again. You procrastinated about calling the heating and air technician to find out why the master bedroom is the hottest (or coldest) room in the house. When the buyer’s inspector finds out that there is an air duct loose in the attic, you get to pay for a servicing AND a REPAIR. Find out the big things before you put the house on the market. Then you can form a selling strategy.
Second, it’s about confidence in your pricing. If your inspection report shows up some deficiencies that need attention, you can shop for prices and companies that you want to use, without a deadline. Or you can get quotes, not do the work, and reduce your price accordingly. Or you can just sell the house as is. A lot of sellers put the inspection report, repair receipts and price quotes right next to the Disclosure statement. This shows a buyer that you have confidence in your knowledge of your house. It gives you confidence in your listing price. You do want to actually get your asking price (or more), right?
Third, a pre-listing inspection sometimes satisfies a buyer’s felt need for a home inspection. If you already have a professional inspection report to show a potential buyer, it can give a little confidence to that buyer about the condition of your house. In our dozen years in business at House Exam Inspection, we have found that a home buyer is looking for enough confidence to decide, when they are thinking about buying a home. If you settle some of their doubt preemptively, it can help that buyer feel more confidence in going to closing.
Fourth, you might decide not to sell. (Don’t tell an agent I said that) That might not be what you wanted to hear, but we’ve seen it happen. Some people think that they will have to spend too much money fixing up a home they thought was in bad shape. I’ve traded off cars in the past that I thought were ready for the junkyard, only to see my car, cleaned up, tuned up and someone else driving happily behind the wheel. If you discover there weren’t as many problems as you thought, you might decide to stay. Maybe it won’t cost as much as you feared to put it in good shape. The grass can sometimes be greener on your side of the fence with less work than you thought.
To summarize, take charge of your home sale early. Before you put the For Sale sign in the front yard, hire a professional home inspector to perform a home inspection for you – the Seller. You’ll learn about the problems early enough to decide what to do about them. You’re in charge. You’ll price your home with more confidence and certainty. Name your price. Potential buyers might be satisfied with the problems you addressed, based on your home inspection, and decide not to pay for an inspection themselves. Get to the closing table sooner, with less stress. Or, maybe your home is just fine, and all you needed was a little more information.
We’ve helped lots of people sell successfully in our twelve years in business. Why don’t you call and let us get you to closing faster? House Exam inspectors have performed this service for Sellers in North Texas, since 2004, and we would love to put our experience and passion for the job to work for you and your family.
