Presale Home Inspections

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!!!

Sale Scenarios
Why Inspect?
Getting an Inspection

Sale Scenarios

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.

List the House. 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 support your dreams.  You sign the disclosure statement, disavowing you know much of anything at all about your house.

Negotiate Purchase Price. 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. 

Buyer Gets a Home Inspection. 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.

Purchase Price Renegotiated. After round two of negotiations, 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.

Seller Disappointment. 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.

Result.  Homebuyer anxiety comes at a price--your equity!!!

Alternate Scenario. The greatest testimony of a Sellers inspection 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 guaranteed, 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 negotiating the price of the house is to get caught off guard 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 incredibly 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. 

Getting a Presale Home Inspection

There are two ways to get a presale inspection: a full Resale Home Inspection or a quick review.

Resale Home Inspection. A full resale home inspection provides a report similar to what the buyer receives after their home inspection.

Home InSight's reports show all comments: the items expected to be discussed with the seller along with other items that will end up on the buyer's to-do list.  Pay attention to the to-do list because it costs an average of $200 per item to address by professionals.  $200 x 25 items is $5000--some serious money!

Your Realtor will help you identify items to make the house more marketable, which are generally ignored in a home inspection, items such as paint, carpet, appearance, etc.

Quick Review. A quick review is done in less than a hour to identify those items likely to come back as discussion items after a buyer's resale home inspection.