Sellers Benefit From Ordering Pre-listing Home Inspection

It’shappened many times in the real estate world -- a buyer is all set tobuy what they perceive to be his or her dream home – only to discover(via a buyer-ordered professional house inspection) -- that the homehas major structural problems or has extensive roof deficiencies to thepoint of needing complete replacement.

Theunsettling discovery casts a negative shadow in the buyer’s eyes, andjust like that, the dream home doesn’t look so dreamy anymore. Obviously, a remedy will need to be worked out, which causes increasedtrepidation in the buyer’s mind – a mind already filled with a mixtureof excitement and apprehension. All of a sudden, decisions haveto be made as to who will pay for repairs/refurbishing or replacements,estimates must be arranged, a new price will have to be negotiated, andtime frames may need to be considered. As a result, the buyerfigures it’s just not worth the hassle and the uncertaintyinvolved. He or she backs away completely, focusing the search onmore promising properties.

When you originally purchased yourhome, you, in all likelihood, had a professional home inspectioncompleted before signing on the dotted line. After all, beingprudent consumer, you wanted to have some assurance that you weren’tabout to dwell in a home where the ceiling wasn’t likely to collapse ontop of you as Junior honed his jumping jack skills upstairs. Andyou certainly didn’t want to feel the need to reach for the umbrellawhenever a light drizzle of rain happened along – due to a leaky roof.

And,although it’s a common practice in residential real estate for thebuyer to order the home inspection, it’s extremely judicious to beaware that you can greatly enhance the marketability of your home byhaving a pre-sale inspection done before the first potential buyer eversets foot on your property. The benefits are substantial, andgreatly outweigh the costs of the inspection.

So, how do you, the seller, not to mention, the buyer benefit when you order a pre-listing home inspection? Consider these advantages:

Confidenceis fostered: You can only increase your stature in the eyes ofthe buyer. He figures you are more conscientious than most homesellers, and will most likely equate your initiative with being anhonest seller willing to take the extra step. This eagerness toassist the buyer will not go unnoticed.
Promotesgood faith: Your willingness to provide a pre-sale inspectionreport to the buyer shows the buyer that you’ve tried to eliminate anynasty surprises, which the buyer would have to discover on his own,either through his own inspection efforts or via a professionalinspection (at the buyer’s expense).
Prevents sellerembarrassment: A pre-listing inspection can reveal problem areasof your home, which, you thought beforehand didn’t exist, without a doubt.For example, the revelation of a major structural defect or decayingroof, by way of the buyer’s professional home inspection, could leaveyou with that awkward “caught with your pants down” feeling, scramblingfor explanations and decisions which haven’t been well-thought out.
Simplifiesnegotiations for the seller: If you know, before your home goeson the market, what problem areas (if any) need to be focused on, youcan make the determination whether or not to spend money on eliminatingthem yourself (keeping your asking price intact, or possibly increasingit a bit), or adjusting your price to reflect those neededimprovements.
Simplifies negotiations for thebuyer: Likewise, if the buyer knows up front that the house hascertain flaws needing to be corrected – already reflected by the home’sprice -- he or she can make a decision as to moving forward with thedeal, or declining it and looking elsewhere. The buyer can alsodecide if he’s capable of making repairs himself or not.
Savestime: A buyer who has your inspection report in hand can make aquicker, more informed decision about proceeding with the deal or not –thus, you don’t lose time by continuing with possibly-futilerenegotiations, and can continue to show your home to other buyers.
Savesmoney: Real estate pros say experience has shown that buyers tendto look harder for additional flaws – flaws that will cost money torectify – once they find the first defect (via their own inspection). Realtors also add that buyers, historically, have thetendency to try to renegotiate two dollars for every dollar it costs tocorrect a flaw.

In addition, try to make arrangementsfor your home inspector to return for the purpose of discussing theinspection report with the buyer. This will add credibility tothe report. Also, make available any documentation you havesurrounding repair work or replacements you’ve made, such as receiptsor warranties.