If you’re getting ready to sell your house, a ‘pre-listing’ home
inspection can help you determine how best to prepare your
home before you put it on the market -- so you can
sell it faster and for more money.
If you have a newer home in great condition, a
pre-listing inspection will help you highlight this advantage
relative to other newer homes also
for sale which may never have had a home inspection. If
you have a newer home, but didn’t have it inspected when you purchased it, now is
a good time to have it done so you know what to expect when the buyer’s
inspector comes to do his assessment.
If you have an older home or, if you’ve lived in your house for
a number of years, a home inspection can be especially useful. When you’re
busy like so many, chances are that you’re not fully aware of how
your house has aged. Therefore, you’ll want to know if your house
has any repair needs before you open your home to potential buyers. From
the pre-listing inspection, you’ll be able to identify the important
things to repair so you know where to focus your time and budget. And
importantly, you’ll know that you received a fair price for your
home at closing.
The most important thing home buyers want to know
is if there are any major problems with the house –- especially
if it is an older home. If the inspector finds that your
house is in good condition and free of
major defects, this is a great selling point. If the house
does have a significant defect or a range of minor repair
needs, this can give you
a chance to make repairs or factor the cost of repairs
into the selling price.
- Results of the inspection will help you and
your Realtor® determine
the best listing price based on the true condition of the
house.
- A clean inspection report can help you substantiate
a higher price for your house. If there are repair needs
with your home and you don’t want to do the work yourself, the cost
of repairs can be factored into the selling price.
- The inspection report can help address questions or concerns
potential
buyers might have about an older home you want to address
upfront (like an aged roof) giving buyers the confidence they need to
make an offer.
- Repair needs discovered in the pre-listing inspection
gives you a chance to have them corrected at the best price possible and
will take potential obstacles to selling your home off the table.
- A home inspection identifying the good
things about your house and those things which are most
important to correct.
- A hard, color copy of the report in a presentation binder
which can be kept inside your house for buyers to review.
- A custom table tent for the kitchen counter which highlights the
home’s condition at a glance.
- A one page overview of key inspection findings which can
be a nice takeaway for potential buyers -- 20 color copies provided.
- A small, branded yard sign indicating that the home has
already been inspected.
- Once the house has sold, you’ll receive 25% off the cost of the
inspection for the house you’ll move into next when you choose Solid
Ground.
Interested? For pricing information or to schedule a pre-listing inspection, give
us a call today at 843-873-8897. Here are a few articles for more information about pre-listing inspections.
Pre-Listing Inspections: Head Off Troubles
Pre-Sale Inspections Can Give Sellers Advantage
Benefits of a Pre-Listing Home Inspection
It takes a lot of work to put a house on the market, especially
if you've lived in your house for a while. You want your
house to look its best so you can 'wow' potential
home buyers. This means getting rid of clutter, cleaning
up the outside, making needed repairs and, of course, decorating
to perfectly set the stage. Often though,
small things like replacing air filters or putting new batteries
in the smoke detectors are overlooked in the process. While
home buyers won’t notice
them when they are falling in love with your house, the home
inspector will.
Many home buyers are looking for houses that are move-in
ready and promise to be maintenance-friendly over
time. Small items which need attention can add up to
the impression that the house might be more work than they
can take on. As a result, it’s
important to take care of them before the home inspection.
A home that needs a lot of repairs, even if they
are minor in nature, can be overwhelming.
By investing a little of your time preparing for the
home inspection, you can eliminate items from the inspection
report. This will help the buyer feel more confident
about the home and will help you to sell your
house faster and for more money.
Here are a few tips to get your home ‘inspection-ready’:
1. |
Confirm
that the water, electric and gas service are turned on and the gas
pilot light is burning so the inspector can check everything in one
visit. |
2. |
The inspector
will need to access the crawlspace, attic, electrical panel, HVAC equipment,
water
heater, backyard sheds and all closets so be sure to unlock and/or remove
items and furniture blocking these important areas. |
3. |
Replace
burned out bulbs to avoid a “light is inoperable” report
that may suggest an electrical problem. Install covers for electrical
outlets and switches where needed. |
4. |
Attend
to broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches; window
panes, screens and locks; gutters, downspouts and chimney
caps. Clean your gutters if they have debris. Windows should open
and close freely. |
5. |
If you've enjoyed your fireplace from time to time, have a chimney sweep
give it a good cleaning. This will remove build-up on the liner so that
it can be properly inspected.
|
6. |
Clean
or replace dirty HVAC air filters. They should fit securely. You may
even want to have your HVAC unit serviced if it's an older unit and
you've lived in the house a number of years. |
7. |
Remove
stored items, debris and wood from around the foundation. These may
be cited
as 'conducive conditions' for termites. |
8. |
Fix
leaky faucets and toilets which 'run'. Remove grout stains and replace
missing tub stoppers. |
9. |
Test
smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace dead batteries. |
10. |
Ensure
pets won’t
hinder the inspection. Ideally, they should be removed from premises
or secured outside. Tell your
agent about any pets at home. |
|
