Talk to area real estate professionals or pick up the
home section of the paper and you likely read or hear about the
cooling of the real estate market nationwide and in Southwest Utah.
It’s become a buyer’s market which means that, these days, buyers
can afford to be choosy. So what can make a seller’s home more
attractive than the rest? A pre-listing or seller home inspection.
An examination paid for by the seller before the home
is put on the market offers the seller several advantages. A home
tends to sell for more money if it is in top shape. Home inspections
are a popular and worthwhile option: 77% of all homes sold have one.
The report and any repair receipts provide buyers with proof of a
home's condition inside and out, creating an environment of trust
and goodwill between sellers and buyers. This can reduce stress
amongst all parties and eliminate of the chances of unknown problems
that can cause sales to fall through.
A prelisting inspection is also an opportunity to
take care of things that could be wrong before they are found out by
a potential buyer's inspector. This type of report can help the
owner, with advice from their agent, decide which, if any, projects
to address before listing the home, correcting problems and
eliminating last-minute repair hassles that could delay closing.
For any projects not undertaken, the owner can obtain cost estimates
for needed work. Sellers then have information which allows them to
offer an appropriate, not excessive, discount off the listing price
if needed.
Advantages to the seller:
-
The
seller can choose a certified NACHI inspector rather than be at
the mercy of the buyer's choice of inspector.
-
The
seller can schedule the inspections at the seller's convenience.
-
It
might alert the seller of any items of immediate personal
concern.
-
The
seller can assist the inspector during the inspection, something
normally not done during a buyer's inspection.
-
The
seller can have inspector clarify any statements in the
inspection report before it is generated.
-
The
report can help the seller realistically price the home if
problems exist.
-
The
report can help the seller substantiate a higher asking price if
problems don't exist or have been corrected.
-
A
seller inspection reveals problems ahead of time which:
-
might make the home show better.
-
gives the seller time to make repairs and shop
for competitive contractors.
-
permits the seller to attach repair estimates or paid
invoices to the inspection report.
-
removes over-inflated buyer procured estimates from the
negotiation table.
-
The
report might alert the seller to any immediate safety issues
found, before agents and visitors tour the home.
-
The
report provides a third-party, unbiased opinion to offer to
potential buyers.
-
A
seller inspection permits a clean home inspection report to be
used as a marketing tool.
-
The
report might encourage the buyer to waive the inspection
contingency.
-
The
deal is less likely to fall apart the way they often do when a
buyer's inspection unexpectedly reveals a problem, last minute.
-
The
report provides full-disclosure protection from future legal
claims.
-
A
seller inspection is the ultimate gesture in forthrightness on
the part of the seller.
Seller inspections are becoming more popular
because they virtually eliminate all the pitfalls and hassles
associated with waiting to do the inspections until a buyer is
found. In many ways, waiting to schedule inspection until after a
home goes under contract, is too late. Seller inspections are a
benefit to all parties in a real estate transaction. They are a
win-win-win-win event.
Frank Ross is a Certified Utah Home Inspector for Pillar to Post
Professional Home Inspection and a full member of the National
Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Readers may contact Mr.
Ross at (435) 867-6400 or
frank.ross@pillartopost.com. You can learn more about Pillar To
Post Professional Home Inspection at
www.pillarposthomeinspection.com
