Ready to sell your home? Perhaps you are dreading the home inspection because you know your home is not perfect.
Home inspections are challenging. Many transactions in the real estate industry will stall and many sales aren’t finalized due to issues that arise from a home inspection.
Owning a house means its value should increase over time but let’s face it some aspects of your home will gradually deteriorate. This is why a home inspection might reveal some damages to your home that you weren’t aware of.
If your house fails an inspection, it could prevent you from selling your home. In order to prevent this from happening to you, read on and take careful note of the following tips.
1. Tips to Avoid a House Fail When Selling Your House
Once you’ve accepted an offer, the buyer will set up a home inspection within ten days. This is where you’ll let your real estate agent help you handle things.
For starter’s, they’ll inform you of the common home maintenance issues in your area so that you can understand them. Then they’ll help you to decide how to handle any requests from the buyer for repairs to be made.
More importantly, they’ll let you know the minor and major damages found during the home inspection.
2. Let the Inspectors Do Their Job
Be ready to wait for the inspection to take up to two to four hours, and that’s the minimum. If your house is older or has features added then the inspection will last longer.
Expect both the buyer and their agent to be present during the inspection. It’s better if you’re not present. Let your agent handle scheduling with the buyer’s agent.
If you’d like to be present check with your real estate agent first so you can examine the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. Being present may make things awkward for you and the buyer.
You may also get nervous and say more than you should when flaws are identified. This is why it is often better to let your real estate agent be your voice in this situation.
3. Let Your House Remain Operational
Leave all utilities on. This includes gas, water, and electricity. Also, leave the remote for equipment such as lights or ceiling fans readily available.
This way the inspector can verify that all the appliances function properly. If you cut off the utilities prematurely to cut costs, you may end up having to go through the hassle of reconnecting all of them for the home inspection.
This slows down the entire process and may mean your home will take longer to sell.
4. Clear Your Clutters Before the Inspection
Clutter limits how thoroughly an inspector can examine your home. Piles make it hard to inspect areas. Inspectors need to examine all areas thoroughly.
Piles and clutters are obstructive and sometimes carry you closer to a failed inspection than a successful one.
5. Read the Inspector’s Mind
Did you know that you can read the home inspector’s mind by being knowledgeable about the things they look for?
Let’s face it although a home inspection report is lengthy and thorough, a majority of the issues listed aren’t likely to affect you. Yet being mindful of the big setbacks is good so you can know what to expect from the report.
Issues like a safety or health hazard are detrimental to your inspection but things can get even worse if you have a building code violation. Some issues high up on a house inspector’s chart are water damage, poor home structure, and a damaged roof. An improperly wired electrical system, faulty plumbing, and HVAC age can also be damning.
6. To Pre-inspect or Not?
Pre-inspections are home inspections carried out for the seller before the house has been listed for sale. An advantage is that it allows you to repair what would appear in the home inspection at closing. This gives you a stronger negotiation starting point.
However, there are disadvantages, a pre-inspection can open a can of worms. You may spend on things that buyers would rather forget about. In addition, you should disclose all the results of the pre-inspection to the buyer’s agent.
Furthermore, inspections vary so what is found during your pre-inspection might not have surfaced during the home inspection process.
7. Honesty is the Best Policy
Be honest and fix known issues before they surface during the home inspection. This is important if you want your home to sell quickly when you put it on the market. Buyers these days are now opting to pay for several home inspections and then moving on when you as a seller fail to negotiate with them.
The key is to properly maintain your home before selling it. Some things to routinely check are the furnace filters, gutters, and downspouts.
Maintenance really makes a difference when selling your house. The bottom line is that maintenance can increase its value on the market.
Benefits of a Home Inspection to You
As you know the home inspector will check for flaws and major issues. Inspecting before you list your home gives you time to make the needed repairs and adjustments. Let’s zero in on all the benefits for you.
After a buyer conducts their inspection your final selling price may change based on any major issues found. More than likely you’ll have to reduce it. Doing your own inspection ahead of time gives you a greater hold on the correct asking price.
Doing your own home inspection before listing definitely prevents a house fail or the loss of a sale.
Properly maintaining your house, letting your real estate agent and the inspector work as well as anticipating the inspector’s moves all work in your favor.
Doing your own home inspection is economical, saves time, lets you know the condition of your house and also gives you a footing on your asking price. If you would like to have your home inspected do not hesitate to contact us, we will help you get the best price for your home.