How to Prepare for a Home Inspection
The first rule for every home inspection is to not try to conceal any defects they know are in the home, because it is likely your Five Star home inspector will find them anyway. Ok now that you have that rule down, here are some more ways you can get ready for the home inspection.
- If you have moved out of the house, make sure all utilities (power / gas / water) remain on
- Make sure all light bulbs are working by changing them before the inspection. The inspector will want to be able to view all areas of your home
- Thin out your closets of storage item so the inspector can see inside them
- Remove items away from basement or storage room walls so they can be inspected
- If there is access to the attic in a closet, make sure it is accessible
- Change the filters to your furnace and leave any service information so the inspector can see them
- Make sure water heaters / electric panels and other important equipment is accessible
Keep in mind that the home inspection is one of the most significant hurdles for a seller to clear. It is vital to make sure your house does not have any glaring defects and do what you can to make this part of the transaction go smoothly.
Advantages of Having a Home Inspection Before Selling
Pre-listing home inspections are more common because they give sellers a large percentage of control over a sale. Understand the condition of your home before the home is listed is vital and worthwhile. The expense is minimal compared to dealing with problems you did not know about or worse lose the sale. Here are just a few advantages of pre-listing inspections.
- You find out what condition your home is in to avoid (buyer inspector findings) being leveraged against (you) the seller.
- Pricing the home accurately to the market and condition is much easier
- Minimizes seller stress throughout the entire transaction and helps improve the buyer’s confidence
- You can perform some of your own repairs and not have to be rushed to get them completed
- Reduces the likelihood of costly negotiations
- You have more time to choose the right contractor of handyman for the repairs you choose to do and avoid last minute (got to have it done) price gouging by repair contractors.
- Traditionally sellers that have their homes pre inspected / repaired get more money in there pocket at the end of the transaction because the buyer does not have as much negotiating leverage when repairs are eliminated by the seller having those repairs done (at their cost). It is a win / win for the seller.
- With the seller and their agent’s permission, FSHI will provide you with a pre-listing inspection marketing yard sign and do social media post on our sites as an added bonus to help you get leads and a buyer
Top Home Inspection Issues You Should Know About
Reasonable buyers should not expect a home to be perfect. However, they do expect it to be habitable and in decent shape. That means that there are some issues that, if a home inspector finds them, are going to be a concern for the buyer a possibly big enough for them to walk away. These common home inspection problems below can hamper home sales but it’s not the end of the world. Stay positive, look at the big picture and realize that you will probably need to make some repairs if you want to increase your chance of selling quickly and getting the maximum $ for your home.
- Structural and Roofing concerns
- Termites and other wood destroying pests
- Drainage and other water penetration issues
- Various fungi concerns
- Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC issues
- Other Mics Interior & Exterior concerns
What The Seller Should Realize Before Selling Their Home
Realistically there are plenty of home repairs that are viewed as a waste of money if done before a sale. One the other hand, there are also some repairs that have a high return on investment because they can increase the desirability of your home and are often inexpensive. The pre-listing home inspection process is something that sellers should take and consider seriously. The smoothest real estate transactions are ones where both the buyer and seller are reasonable and well prepared. Hopefully, you have gotten quite a bit of knowledge out of this information.
