Sellers: Find The Flaws In Your House With A Home Inspection

Some sellers do not know, or have not been told, that they can get their own home inspection prior to putting their house on the market.  Not only is this a great idea, it is one I highly recommend to all sellers.

If you have lived in your house for 30 years, when was the last time you crawled into the attic and poked around with a ski pole? Probably never!

Over time your house goes through changes and although you have done a great job maintaining it, you can be sure a buyer’s home inspector will find faults and deficiencies with something. Why not find it first and fix it, by hiring your own home inspector and having them go through your house with a fine tooth comb?

By doing this, you may be able to alleviate any surprises and have an opportunity to fix those pesky items that may deter a potential buyer from moving forward.

In addition, it is always best to disclose certain items ahead of time so that they are not shocking to a buyer. Full disclosure is key.

Here is an analogy. You go to Sears to buy a washing machine; you get a 10% discount on the floor model because it has a small ding in the lid. You know the ding is there and you are willing to accept that ahead of time. You buy the machine, ding and all, and you are happy! If you buy the machine and don’t know about the ding, until after you get home, the first thing you do is return the machine or call to complain.

Sellers show your dings up front to potential buyers, so that the offer they make will get to a closing.

Steve Fowler, a 23-year veteran home inspector with FJ.Storch Inspections said, “In this market a seller’s pre-home inspection is critical. Early detection is key for sellers to alleviate buyer objections and disclose problems up front. With so many homes on the market buyers have the opportunity to walk away and look for something else. In addition, certain buyers are getting what is known as an FHA loan and certain inspection problems may preclude a buyer from going forward.”

The company motto at FJ.Storch is: Don’t be nervous. We’ve been through this kind of thing at least 80,000 times. A typical inspection will cost $350 with an additional fee of $56 for Radon testing. A cost well worth the investment.

Some major items inspectors will look for are roof quality, plumbing and heating issues, electrical items, structural items and pest damage.

So don’t panic about that inspection. Get your own and make that sale smoother from the get go!

P.S. Don’t forget to remove Fido and Fluffy before the inspection. Although we all love them, they can hinder the inspection and make the buyer and inspector uncomfortable.