I get a lot of the same questions thrown at me on a regular basis and people are always asking me about how the business works and what stories I can tell them. So, I've decided to share my experiences with everyone on the board. Whenever a new story or typical question pops into my head, I'll post it.
Question: Should I have my home pre-inspected before I list?
The answer is not your typical yes or no. Inspections generally cost about $300 to $400 depending upon the size and age of the home etc. If your plan is to get the home inspected so that the new buyers will be able to forgo this process in their offer, you're going about it the wrong way. When I represent a buyer in a transaction and I see the sellers very recent home inspection sitting on the kitchen table, I leaf through it during the showing but I still always recommend and suggest the buyers hire their own independent inspector. There are a lot of excellent home inspectors out there and there are also a ton of very poor inspectors (the ones that want to keep the agent happy so they'll get fed more business). You don't want to be the poor soul who just relied on inspection results from a guy who was a Barista at Starbucks last week, had no construction experience, took a couple of courses and was proud that this home was the first he had ever done!
However, there is an advantage to a pre-inspection. I consider myself to have a fairly deep knowledge of construction processes and finishes etc., having renovated an entire home in the past so I can generally go through a home and pick out defects. But, good inspectors are trained to find things that most people would miss. Keep in mind, when I represent a buyer I'm purposely looking for faults with a home so that my clients are aware of what they may be getting into or to drive the price down. All faults or defects found by myself, my clients or our home inspector are amplified during the price negotiations. Here's an example of what I mean. Seller has a pre-inspection completed by a licensed home inspector. They determine the seal has gone in 4 of the windows. From there the seller can contact a window repair company who can come in and repair the seals with a 10 year warranty (yes, I happen to know of one
) before the home hits the market. Problem solved for around $600 to $800 total. If the home was not pre-inspected the Buyer's inspector probably would have found the problem and the buyers agent would have tried to argue repair was not possible and that the windows needed to be replaced at a cost of about $500-$800 per window!
In a nutshell, if you plan on having an inspection of your home completed before the sale, use it to show you what's wrong with the house and fix any issues as best you can before showings begin. Even though you've had the inspection completed, expect another one by the buyers. And, always, always, always use a qualified, licensed home inspector with a stellar reputation. There are lots of them right here on this board.
Oh, on a side note, I once sold a home and the agent did the inspection himself. A word of advice - if an agent ever offers to do the inspection himself...get another agent!
Happy Selling!
Cliff
_________________
Cliff Barron
Selling in Milton for over 14 years!
Sutton Group - Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
#1, 07-18 company wide!
cbarron@sutton.comhttp://www.callcliff.ca905-286-5888
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
