Why Consider Pre-Inspection When Selling Your Home?
There are two major emotional points for sellers:
1. When they receive a contract offer on their house.
2. When they get a copy of the inspection notice and report.
The first one is the “high” as they celebrate their success in getting their house sold.
The second major emotional point is the lowest. They see the list of problems and the demand from the buyer (read as potential buyer about to walk away) to fix everything and become fearful of losing the sale.
Homeowners trying to sell say to themselves “what the heck, this house is just fine, we haven’t needed hot water or locks that work for years now…” And that may sound funny but these ridiculous arguments from sellers come up all the time and while my example may seem silly, the problem lies in the surprise.
Sellers are surprised and caught off guard because in most cases the things that buyers and their home inspector found they want fixed are really legitimate (and sometimes even can be safety issues) but the seller just didn’t know anything about it…
And now it’s the 11th hour, they’ve moved into the mindset of “my house is sold!” and now instead of glee, they’re full of fear and anxiety.
Why not get your home pre-inspected, fix anything that comes up and avoid these major emotional hurdles?
I have all of my listings inspected. When I’m helping people sell Boulder real estate we find the true condition of the property and get things fixed, amend the report and provide copies to potential buyers. Our local MLS system (the online system we use to share our listings with other Realtors and also to buyers via the public version of the site) allows us to upload all the disclosures and documents associated with the transaction. We also provide copies of the inspection report and repair receipts at the property for potential buyers to take along with them.
This doesn’t mean that buyers don’t have their own inspection. Frequently they do and we encourage this. It’s rare though that something new comes up and when it does, it’s usually nothing ‘mission critical’ (after all, the buyer’s home inspector needs to try to show he has some value right?)
What this pre-inspection strategy really also speaks to is honesty. One of the biggest concerns that buyers have is that they don’t know anything about this house. The seller seems to hold all the cards and buyers are afraid they’ll get stuck with someone’s old problems. Our full-disclosure strategy helps remove that fear and shows a seller to be full of integrity.
Taking this step of pre-inspection removes lots of uncertainty and gives full disclosure. If the real estate agent you’ve interviewed isn’t doing this, ask him/her why. It’s one small step to a smoother transaction and a timely sale.
.
… AND, you can FOLLOW THE LINKS I have for you on the right side of this page to find some great information. Please see my video tour section, to see tours of Boulder real estate for sale, business profiles, neighborhood profiles, and new development profiles. I want you to find exactly what you want, and get all the info you need. Call or email me now to get straight answers, and start the process of finding the perfect solution to your real estate needs.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
Related Reading
Comments
Got something to say?
