Why Home Inspections are Crucial to Sellers

Home inspections are the first step to buying a home.  The best way to see if the house is in rock solid condition is of course to hire a recommended home inspector.  I’d never advise anyone to buy a home without one.

This article is to let you know that inspections are as useful for sellers as they are for buyers!  Why pay for a home inspection for the home that will be sold, when the need feels greater towards the home that will be purchased.  These inspections take time as well as money!  Here are some reasons to hire a qualified, registered home inspector to evaluate your home before you list it. 

When a seller is preparing his home for sale, the steps to take is to repair anything damaged, or if it is really bad, to replace it.  Check each room inside the house, before tackling the outside.  Curb appeal speaks volumes when you are preparing your home to attract buyers looking for a place to live. 

Choosing the “Right” Price

A pre-listing inspection can help determine the home’s true value.  The average seller is unable to see the real conditions of his or her house when determining what price the home should be offered for sale.  Here a qualified inspector will go through your home and accurately assess what’s good and what’s bad about the building.  Small maintenance jobs may have grown into large problems.  New problems may have cropped up.  Best yet, expensive renovations may have boosted its value.  This will show Pride of Ownership!

Know your Home’s Value

As negotiations are always a part of most real estate sales, buyers and sellers usually try to get their price...sellers ask for the highest and best price they think that it is worth, sometimes emotionally; and buyers try to pay the lowest price taking into account changes which they are expecting to make as well as the price of the move, etc.  A pre-listing inspection can put the seller in a position of strength during those negotiations.

Professionally Marketing your Home

Here are some real estate tips into the marketing of your home.  Some (FSBO’s) for sale by owners add catchy labels on their marketing of their home such as; “a handyman’s dream”, or a “fixer-upper”, and “as is conditions”; or “great potential”. 

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How does it feel when you have gone through the inspection, and you know what the real condition of your home is that you are about to sell?   This speaks from knowledge and power.  It gives you the opportunity to use real words to describe the property’s condition, when you can speak confidently about the stability of the home to the new owners to be.   This can also be used as a checklist of items that can make a house look better, sell faster, and most important, function properly.  Taking care of small jobs, and listing your home with a realtor will improve your position of home seller, and make your home sell faster.

Pride of Ownership

You show potential buyers that you are open and honest about the condition of your home.  It says more than words can:  that you are serious about selling, that you are not hiding any surprises, and that you want to conduct a fair transaction that benefits both parties.  Disclosure goes a long way towards building trust, openness and good faith – core values in any negotiation.  It helps market the home better.  It helps setting the right price.  It also helps to show that you are serious about doing business.  Inspections aren’t for buyers anymore.

To follow up, ask any questions which may arise, please send your enquiry to:

Lillian Cooper, Realtor,

Century 21 Heritage Group Ltd., Brokerage.