Home Inspection Prior to Listing Can Benefit Sellers
Home inspection prior to listing can benefit sellers, according to real estate brokers.
The pre-market house inspection report can guide the seller about needed repairs and the current conditions of the major systems of the house. The owner can then decide whether to leave the conditions as is and give discounts to the buyer or make the needed repairs so that the maximum price can be asked.
The ready certified house inspection report can also be used as an additional marketing tool when talking with prospective buyers. The report will generate immediate positive feelings about the sincerity of the seller to be honest with buyers.
Future claims or lawsuits regarding the true condition of the house would also be avoided if there is a pre-market inspection report. Any condition of the home that puts the safety and security of current owners and prospective buyers at risk would also be addressed immediately.
Most buyers oftentimes still want their own inspection even if there is already an inspection paid for by the seller. If this is the case, owners should require the inspector and seller to be responsible for any damage directly caused by the inspection.
For both buyers and sellers, hiring a certified, experienced and recommended inspector to carry out the home inspection is important. There have been countless cases throughout the country in which inspectors do not know how residential systems work and are not able to determine the crucial defects that should be detected.
Oftentimes also, inexperienced inspectors record defects that are not really defects and deem some systems as completely non-functional when just a minor part needs to be replaced. An HVAC unit, for instance, needs only its faceplate, a part costing just $95, to be replaced to function well again.
In states that do not require licensing for home inspectors such as California, sellers and buyers should see to it that they hire inspectors who are members of house inspection organizations.
In California, they should choose among members of the California Real Estate Inspection Association or the American Society of Home Inspectors. These associations issue certificates to persons who complete their training modules and pass their inspection examinations.
When hiring home inspectors, sellers and buyers should also be clear about what parts of the house are going to be inspected, what parts are excluded, what kind of home inspection report is going to be accomplished and when the report would be given.
