"The Future of Real Estate"

Why Would a Seller Want to Have a Home Inspection?

It's not immediately obvious to many sellers why a Pre-Listing Home Inspection would be beneficial. One of the most compelling reasons is the comfort factor it gives potential buyers.

If you lived in Toronto or one of the other major cities in Canada and were considering selling your home you would be well aware of the advantages of pre-sale inspections. This now accounts for half of the home inspections being performed in these areas. Let’s face it; you have invested a large amount of your money in this property, why wouldn't you want to get the maximum return from your investment. Having your home inspected before it goes on the market is one way of ensuring that. The traditional way of listing a property and having a home inspection completed by the buyer is rapidly changing to a seller pre-listed inspection, and is well worth looking into.

As the market tightens, we have seen buyers more interested in the renegotiating process after their inspection is done. Buyers are looking for ways to knock every dollar off the asking price they can. As a result sellers are being subject to excruciating renegotiation process. Many sellers have had to reduce the asking price of their home by thousands just to keep the deal together. Many are fixing repairs outside the real estate contract to keep the buyer happy. In all, it is costing the seller money and the agent countless hours to finalize the deal. Much more than if they had their home inspected before it went on the market.

Pre-listing inspections, if done correctly are an excellent way to disclose the true condition of any home for sale. They eliminate 11hr. headaches, additional repair expense, cancelled contracts and much more! In all, they give buyers the peace of mind they deserve when buying a home. "AGAIN, IF DONE CORRECTLY"!

Agents and sellers are beginning to acknowledge this and many are finding out that it is far easier to sell a pre-inspected home than one that is not pre-inspected. In some cases, pre-appraising the home can also help with communicating the true value of the home to the seller. By knowing this, sellers are keener to adjust their asking prices accordingly, thus increasing the probability of faster sales! Pre-listing inspections offer a way to sell the home faster and for the top dollar.

Trust Plays a Large Part in Any Transaction

Every legitimate effort you make to build trust with a potential buyer will bring them that much closer to making the decision to buy your property. It's very important to create "curb appeal" when placing your home on the market. That's the number one thing that gets a buyer interested. But once they take a closer look, they begin to decide whether your property is the one they want.

Many things play into that decision. And trust about you and the property's condition is a key element. A Pre-Listing Inspection lets them know your property is in good shape. They'll feel good about you and the property. That can make all the difference.

Give the Potential Buyer Peace of Mind

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recommend that the consumer use CAHPI (Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors) "National Certificate Holders" to perform their home inspection. This Canadian group of inspectors have undergone extensive technical background review, report verification, adhere to the National Occupational Standards for Building and Home Inspectors, and follow a strict code of conduct and ethics. visit CMHC

Having your home pre-inspected by a "National Certificate Holder", eliminates the need of the buyer, concerning themselves with the condition of the property. That allows them a much more relaxed perspective on the lifestyle aspects of living there. It allows them to concentrate on seeing themselves as the owners, without clouding their thoughts with worries of whether the property is a good investment. They can dream. Which is exactly what you want them to do!

A Pre-Listing Inspection Also Strengthens Your Position as a Seller

• By having an inspection before selling, you're prepared for items that may show up during the buyer's inspection. You can prevent extended negotiations if the repairs are made ahead of time. Fewer contingencies in the sales contract will undoubtedly make the closing much smoother.
• A pre-listing inspection helps get buyers comfortable with the idea of making an unconditional offer.
• By documenting the pre-listing condition of the home, you gain a legal advantage in the event you are sued for not disclosing problems with your home.
• You will be able to negotiate from a much stronger position if you have an inspection report to compare against your buyer's report. In many cases, if your report is provided by a CAHPI National Certificate Holder, the buyer will see no need to retain their own inspector. And of course, if I pre-inspect your home, I will always be available to answer questions the prospective buyer may have.
• The need to make certain repairs - such as to mechanical systems (heating and air conditioning, plumbing and electrical) and to address safety issues. This gives the owner the choice to decide which, if any, to address before putting the house on the market.
• Even if sellers decide not to make any of the suggested repairs, a pre-listing inspection can still prove beneficial; it allows sellers to obtain cost estimates for needed work, so they can offer potential buyers an appropriate, not excessive, discount off the listing price.

The Pre-Listing Package

• The first step is standard home inspection; following the standards of practice for the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors and The American Society of Home Inspectors.
• This is followed by an in-depth review of our findings, recommendations and full consultation at the time of the inspection. This includes the benefits of professional home staging (if required), photos you would like published (printed or web-site) and contents of the summary report.
• Generating the inspection report for display at your home.
• Publishing the summary report for approval and delivering 30 copies of the approved summary to your property, for perspective buyers to take during showings or open houses.
• Full consultation services for perspective buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions;

Question: What is the time frame for the completion of the summary reports?

Answer: Typically turnaround time is in 2 to 3 business days after the original inspection. The day after the inspection we will send you an email, which gives you a chance to review the summary report material before we print the final copies. After you review the material, and provide your authorization, we will proceed and have the summaries printed and delivered to the destination of your choice.

Question: What if I need the summary report sooner?

Answer: Depending on where we are delivering to, a faster turnaround time may be possible. There is always the option of dropping by our office and picking them up as well.

Question: How are the summaries delivered to me?

Answer: Our staff will be personally deliver the summary to you.

Question: What if I would like to request more than 30 copies of the summary report?

Answer: If you would like additional copies of the summary, they can be provided to you at our cost.

Question: Who is taking the pictures?

Answer: I carry a digital camera and will take a picture of the front of the home as well as an assortment of photos. If you have some areas of the home you would like photographed, you may want to clear these areas prior to the inspectors arrival.

Question: What if I would like to use my own picture(s) for the front of the summary?

Answer: That is no problem. All you have to do is email your picture(s) to us. You will want to ensure that your pictures are at least 150dpi, 800x600 pixels, and at least 300kb. If you have any questions about sending, or picture types please contact us at 613-354-9547

Question: What if I would like to use your picture(s) on my website, listing, etc.?

Answer: Many agents have used our pictures on their MLS listings. All you have to do is let us know, and we will email you the photos we have of the property at no charge.

Question: What if the buyer wants his or her own inspection?

Answer: That is fine; everyone's comfort level will improve when the findings are substantially the same. (They will differ on minor items due to the sampling differences in the inspection process.) The credibility of the listing agent will be reinforced in the eyes of the buyer.

Question: What if I want to take the Inspection Report with me when I leave the property?

Answer: You should leave the report because it contains only the information on this home, which is only of use to the buyer.

Question: What about my privacy?

Answer: Although this may be obvious, since the report is being used to market the home, you agree to make public the report details as part of the inspection agreement with us.

Question: What if a prospective buyer wants to get a walk-through inspection before buying the property?

Answer: This is available for a $175.oo fee. The buyer cannot take the full inspection report, because it is still on display at the home. Prospective buyers who purchase the walk-through may purchase a copy of the inspection report for an additional $75.00, if desired. (Remember though, that the buyer will receive the copy on display in the home, when he or she buy's the property.)

Question: If I have the $175.00 walk-through completed, does the liability of the report get transferred into my name?

Answer: Yes. When you have our walk through inspection, you become our client, and as such, the transfer of liability gets put into your name.

Question: What if I have repairs or improvements done after the original Pre-listing Inspection? Can we record these repairs / improvements on the summaries and in the report?

Answer: Most sellers address these repairs and/or improvements with any buyer by including the work order receipts with the report and summaries. This is the fastest and simplest way to include any repairs/improvement upgrades.

Give Pre-Listing Inspection Some Serious Thought...

You'll immediately see the advantages it provides you as a seller. If you have any questions about pre-listing inspections, just give me a call. You won't run into high pressure sales tactics. Just honest, informative answers to your questions!