You put a great deal of time, money and energy into marketing your listings, and of course you need to get a good return on that investment. One of the best, most effective steps toward that goal is to have a professional home inspection prior to listing.
A pre-listing inspection can uncover previously unknown conditions—major and minor—allowing sellers the opportunity to make repairs, updates or replacements as needed or as they choose. The inspection report will also provide important information you can use to price the property correctly and maximize its value. A seller that understands any significant shortcomings the home has will likely be more amenable to your advice on which issues to address and how the results of the inspection may affect—positively or negatively—the home’s price and marketability. Being aware of issues in advance can result in cleaner offers and a smoother transaction for both parties.
Make sure that the home inspection offered is comprehensive and that the report will be delivered immediately upon completion of the inspection. This allows your sellers to get the information they need right away so they can quickly decide on their next steps. Photos should always be part of a professional report so that documentation of conditions is available to both the sellers and potential buyers, should the seller opt to share this information with them. This can be especially important when it comes to identifying issues that will not be addressed or repaired prior to sale.
It’s especially beneficial if your sellers attend the pre-listing inspection so they can get firsthand feedback and ask any questions of the inspector during the process. If the sellers choose to repair or otherwise address any issues noted in the report, they should keep receipts and any other relevant records to prove that the work was done. Buyers are more likely to feel positive about making a strong offer on a home that has had already-known problems addressed.
Additional testing outside the scope of a standard home inspection can also be performed, including radon, mold, WDO and other specialized inspection services, giving your sellers and potential buyers even more information. It will also lessen the chance of more surprises popping up later in the home-buying process.
With a professional, comprehensive pre-listing inspection in hand, you can market your sellers’ homes with increased confidence and a better outcome for everyone.
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is committed to ensuring confident home ownership. To learn more about how Pillar To Post Home Inspectors can help your clients, visit pillartopost.com.
