HOME INSPECTION

Pre-listing Home Inspection: Head off trouble

With the shifting market, New Jersey home buyers are increasingly more sensitive to property condition and are more than ever asking for full disclosure up front about condition and other factors that affect the home value. A pre-inspection report educates the buyer on the condition of the property under consideration. The same report can and should be used by the sellers to assist them in preparing proper disclosure documents. It allows the seller to anticipate any objections directed toward property structure and system functions such as heating and air conditioning - objections that may have potential implications. See Sample Report

At the completion of the home inspection, a summary of the findings is supplied to the seller on site.  The seller is allowed time to make repairs before a final report is processed and posted online. Potential buyers can download the report from our web site. Questions about the home can be e-mailed to the home inspector. This gives the buyer a certain comfort level unmatched by any other advertisement on the market.  By eliminating buyers concerns, it is less likely that a potential sale will fall apart later.  For additional related information see LHinspection.com.

While a presale inspection will not head off every issue, most agree the benefits outweigh holding off on the inspection until after contract acceptance. Here are some of the benefits to conducting the home inspection prior to listing.

Identify defects and make repairs ahead of time. By identifying possible defects early on, the seller is in a position to handle repairs prior to listing, making the listing more attractive. Making repairs ahead of time will limit objections over defects during the negotiations. If the seller elects not to repair certain defects that turn up in the pre-inspection, they can disclose the defects to potential buyers in the disclosure documents. 

Make repair more cost effectively.  The seller has time to obtain estimates for repairs. Buyers typically ask for twice the actual cost of repairs.   

Provide confidence to the buyer. With a clean pre-purchase inspection in hand after viewing a NJ property, potential buyers may feel more comfortable with making an offer. When a buyer can see there are no major defects in the property to be addressed, it is easier for them to determine how much they can comfortably spend on the house. The home warranty coverage supplied with the package further ads to the buyer’s confidence level.   In today’s buyers market, one of the best things sellers can do to facilitate a sale is to pre-inspect the home.   

Market appeal. While the pre-inspection definitely involves an investment on the part of the home seller, in the end it could help realize a greater profit when the home sells. As the market has changed, with an increased amount of competition, this is a good tool that should serve many New Jersey sellers well in order to get ahead of the other sellers in their areas.

Learn more about NJ Home Inspector, Craig Lewis.