| Most home sales today are contingent on satisfactory
physical condition, generally determined by an inspection from a licensed
home inspector, architect or engineer. While inspections have traditionally
been a buyer’s tool, there are many good reasons for sellers to contract
their own inspection prior to putting a home on the market.
Probably the most important benefit to the seller is “no
surprises”. The home inspection will alert you to problems
both major and minor, and enable you to resolve them prior
to the contract negotiation phase. Good inspectors will point
out everything from a leaky roof to a leaky faucet, and all
the problems in between.
Safety issues are always a red flag to potential buyers.
Inspectors will alert you to bad wiring, lack of smoke detectors,
improperly installed insulation and a host of other issues
that are easily resolved before buyers ever set foot in your
house.
Home Inspectors are often “tuned in’ to the
local real estate market and can advise you of changes and
improvements which would help your home sell faster and for
a better price. They will tell you what is worth fixing and
what to leave alone. Some will give you ballpark figures
on major repairs or improvements.
The New York State Disclosure of Condition form is another
potential minefield that a good inspection will help you
navigate through. When a buyer encounters a serious problem
after the sale and that problem is not on the disclosure
form, lawsuits often result. A pre-sale inspection will help
ensure that your disclosure form is as accurate as possible.
If a lawsuit should arise, the inspection report could be
your only defense.
Awareness of potential and actual problems gives you the
knowledge to set a price that already takes them into account.
During negotiations, the typical buyer will negotiate $2
in concessions for every $1 in needed repairs uncovered during
their inspection. By having the issues identified, analyzed
and figured into the price beforehand, you will build a much
stronger case for your asking price.
Buying a home is probably the largest financial transaction
most Americans will ever make. Sellers need to do everything
they can to make it less stressful and increase the probability
of a deal. As a seller, having a comprehensive, professional
home inspection report in your hands will go a long way towards
calming your nerves, the nerves of your buyer, and the gremlins
that often plague real estate transactions. It’s not
sales expense. It’s sales insurance.
Jeff Klein is a professional writer in Saratoga Springs.
He can be reached at www.preciseprose.com
| 
