Home inspections aren’t just for home buyers! Pre-sale inspections can be a wise investment for home sellers. Finding potential issues before you list for your home for sale can save you time, money and headaches down the road. Here’s why!
Home inspections are a visual examination of a home’s components and overall condition. A home inspector typically checks the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and other interior and exterior aspects. Inspections for mold, termites and radon are also available. Depending on the size of the home, an inspection can run anywhere from $300 to $600. If the inspection reveals a potential problem, a contractor can be called in for written repair estimates.
Buyers usually include a home inspection among their contingencies. But when you’re the home seller, waiting for the buyer’s inspection report means risking last minute headaches before closing.
By having your own home inspection first, you can be alerted to potential issues, and make any needed repairs before your home is on the market. This reduces the odds of the buyer’s inspection coming up with a problem. This helps prevent closing delays, and reduces the chance of the deal falling through due to repair issues. It also mitigates the risk of buyers demanding price adjustments for repair costs.
Completing repairs before listing your home for sale can improve its sales price, too!
If you do not intend to fix anything, a pre-sale inspection is still valuable. By obtaining details of the needed work, along with written repair estimates, you can be transparent with buyers and price your home accordingly. This is especially useful when listing a home for sale “as-is.” Buyers are more likely to consider a home that needs work, when they know what they’re getting into.
A pre-sale inspection can help you confidently answer seller disclosure forms. In Illinois, sellers must disclose any known material defects to buyers. If a seller is aware of an issue that may affect the value, desirability or safety of the home, the seller must notify all potential buyers of the defects. Download a sample disclosure from our website for examples!
In all cases, it’s far better to know about a repair issue up front, than have a closing fall through later.
Get a free pre-sale consultation from StartingPoint Realty!
StartingPoint Realty has served the Chicago area since 2004! We offer pre-sale consultations without any pressure or obligation. We’ll estimate your home’s market value, and give suggestions for improving the sales price. We also offer free home selling seminars, and first-time home buying seminars! Contact us today to schedule your consultation!
Ryan Gable Broker/CEO Starting Point Realty
Phone: 847.348.1154
Email: RyanGable@startingpointrealty.com
https://startingpointrealty.com/
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