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Home Sellers:
Let Us Help Preserve Your Equity!
You're done with this house. You want to move on. You really don't want to spend any more time or money on it. But you want top dollar so you can buy another one. If you can temporarily set aside your emotions and consider this is a business decision, then you can get much closer to the price you want! Your listing agent, home stager, and home inspector can help you do that!!!
Typical Scenario. Future plans are in motion. Anything that doesn't support those plans, such a home maintenance, is deferred. Before long, the house shows signs of neglect. It's finally time to sell it. Your Listing Agent shows up with a listing contract. If you listen, your Realtor is trying to help you make your home more appealing. You're not really listening though because it involves spending money--something that doesn't suport your dreams. You sign the disclosure statement, disavowing you know much of anything at all about your house. A buyer comes along with the Selling Agent. The good ones start negotiation with a significant discount. After round one of negotiations, a price is agreed to. In your mind, you've sold the house and moved already.
The buyer then exercises their right to due diligence to get the property checked out. Perhaps a home inspector is employed. When the report is issued, there are concerns. After round two, you make deep concessions to sell the house because you want to be free of it--now! The concessions cost way more than the cost to fix it and get the house inspected before hand. You're disappointed because your hero, the Listing Agent, wasn't able to completely avoid this disaster. But, you go on, and bad-mouth all real estate professionals due to bitterness. Homebuyer anxiety comes at a price--your equity!!!
Alternate Scenario. The greatest testimony of a Sellers inspction was my first one. The homebuyers settled on a better price and didn't bother with the home inspector--because one was already there recently and the repairs were made accordingly. This outcome can't be gauranteed, but if there's nothing major to for the homebuyers to get concerned about, then you'll keep more of your equity.
Why Inspect?
* Get your house ready to compete with all other houses like it in the market
* Be prepared to answer the homebuyers' questions with professional answers
* Correct things before they have a chance make your buyers more anxious
* Improve odds your house will sell faster at a better price than the competition
Most homebuyers understand the reasons behind the need for a home inspection, but it's just as important for the seller for the following reasons.
1. Knowledge is Power. The last thing you want to happen to you when negoting the price of the house is to get caught off gaurd with a condition you were unaware of. You want to know every detail of the house to negotiate from a position of strength.
2. Personal Protection. Our society is incedibly litigious. A dissatisfied buyer will go after anyone they can in the real estate transaction--including you, especially with less than adequate disclosure. A home inspection shows you've done your best to fully disclose the issues with your house.
3. Market Advantage. It's not unheard of for a buyer to look at 60-100 houses. After a while, they all look the same. Showing a potential buyer you know what the issues are and how some of them have been addressed is a refreshing change! Your house will be easier to buy because your buyer's anxiety level is reduced.
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