12 Reasons to do a Pre-Listing Inspection

Ivan/October 23, 2010

PRE-LISTING INSPECTIONS

Many real estate brokers are recommending pre-listing inspections to their clients, here are some of the reasons:

  1. Your home may sell faster.
  2. Your home may sell for more money.
  3. No more buyers walking away because of a problem with the house.
  4. No more 11th-hour re-negotiations based on an inspector’s findings.
  5. No more helpless feelings that an inspector has raised an issue that is not a big problem.
  6. No more buyers getting cold feet when they find out the home is not perfect.
  7. No more buyers walking away because they don’t have time for an inspection.
  8. No more parade of inspectors through your home before a multiple-offer situation.
  9. You choose the inspector based on reputation and credentials.
  10. You resolve any differences of opinion about the house before it goes on the market.
  11. All homes have room for improvement. Disclosing the condition of the home allows you to reflect the condition in the listing price, rather than have to negotiate again later when the issues are discovered.
  12. You fix any conditions identified (if you choose to) or simply reflect it in the purchase price. This takes it off the table as a negotiating point against you.

Pre-Listing Inspection is The Future of Real Estate
Home inspections have traditionally been for the benefit of the purchaser; pre-inspected listings benefit all parties – purchasers, vendors and agents. Home inspections, performed as a condition of the offer, can kill deals. Sometimes this is because the purchaser gets cold feet, or there’s a big problem no one knew about.
Sometimes, the home inspector scares the purchasers by using alarmist communication when describing minor and typical problems. If the home inspection is performed before the house is listed, all parties will be aware of the condition of the house before an offer is drawn. There will be no surprises after the fact.

Manage Unrealistic Vendors
An inspection at the time of listing can also help an agent deal with a vendor who has unrealistic price expectations. As an impartial third party assessment, the inspection report can often help to provide a factual basis for why a house should be listed at a particular price. In addition, by investing in an inspection, the vendor’s motivation to actually sell the property is enhanced.

Repairs Prior to Sale
Sometimes, the home inspector will reveal items that should be repaired. A pre-listing inspection allows the vendor to repair any conditions prior to putting the house on the market. Another option is to reflect the condition in the asking price, thus eliminating a negotiating point against the seller.

Sometimes, the vendor may not agree with a part of the home inspector’s report. If there is a discrepancy, the MOSE inspector can discuss and explain the problem, resolving the issue before the house goes on the market.

Consistent Standards
MOSE Home Inspections performs home inspections to accepted Quebec Association of Home Inspectors (AIBQ) and the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI). These standards clearly state everything that will and will not be checked and reported on. This ensures a high level of consistency that you can depend on.

Speed up the Process
Home inspections, performed as a condition of the offer, can slow the momentum of the sales process. This is because of:

  • Time to book inspector.
  • Scheduling several hours of the buyer’s time to attend an inspection on short notice.
  • Possible renegotiations after the inspection.
  • Renegotiation

If all parties know the condition of the house prior to the offer, there is no basis for renegotiation. A vendor who pays for a home inspection is one step ahead. The whole process of selling the house is expedited.

Peace of Mind for the Purchaser
There is no doubt that part of the value of a home inspection is a guided tour of the house for the prospective purchaser. The inspection company can be hired to do a walk-through of the report with the purchaser, if requested.

Summary
We believe that the future of home inspections lies in the pre-inspected listings. Offers are cleaner and deals are less likely to be renegotiated or fall through. Pre-inspected listings afford purchasers, vendors and agents the information and protection they all deserve.

MOSE Home Inspection performs consistent, dependable inspection services to the national standards. MOSE inspectors are skilled communicators and report effectively and objectively without using alarmist communication.

Call Mose Home Inspections for any further questions about Pre-Listing Inspections:

514-426-1095

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