How can pushing my client for a pre-listing inspection help their home sell faster?

Know the exact condition…even if its not all good, its good that you know.

There are several benefits to knowing the exact condition of your home, and a home inspection is the only true way to know that. Despite the amount of time we spend in our homes, in most cases we tend to not see many of the small issues that arise over the years. Because we watch the change evolve slowly, they become normal. A good home inspector will be able to look at your home with fresh eyes and a professional mindset to give you a true diagnostic report on the condition of your home. A quality inspection before you list, WILL be an advantage, even if all the information is not good.

More accurate pricing

With the completed inspection you and your Realtor will be able to better asses the market value of your home. A quality inspector will list a variety of features in your home you may not have remembered to even market such as, energy efficient windows, efficiency ratings on appliances and furnaces, insulation values and a variety of marketable attributes of the home. These benefits can now be added to the listing, and accurate pricing will be easier to achieve.

Gives edge in competitive market

When the market is strong, sellers need every advantage they can get to have their home stand out from the rest. Having a home inspection completed prior to the listing can give the home an advantage in the market, making it more appealing to potential buyers.  Having an inspection upfront lets the buyers know the seller is being open and honest, and will give the buyer more confidence.

Minimize stress – don’t worry about what might be found

Moving is said to be one the top ten stresses in most peoples lives. (https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/causes-of-stress?fbclid=IwAR0k28UmzB8AKyCwzhHTmb5cLtSoccRNvTNG32PNCdwsaI2BId7I1_Kh-GE#1) A home inspection is one way to relieve that stress during the sale of a home.  Most often when a home is up for sale it means that seller is also in the process of moving and buying a new home. This can mean multiple closing dates for two homes, a multitude of negotiations and realtors, and the large “unknown” of what the buyer's inspector may find.  This can quickly end a deal and even cause multiple deals to fall apart. If the seller knows the condition upfront, they will be far less worry when the buyer comes in with their inspector!

You can make repairs before the rush of trying to close

When the buyer has an inspection and repairs need to be made there is usually a tight deadline for this to not effect the closing. This will mean less time to get quotes, or even time for the contractor to fit in repairs before closing. In the end, it’s the same repairs but the seller now has the opportunity to fix them on their own timeline, or decide to take the repair cost off the listing price.

Less opportunity for buyer to negotiate

When the seller's home is in good condition, and they know it, they are in a better position to negotiate. Making sure all the details are taken care of gives the buyer less room to argue over price, and gives the seller more confidence.

Buyer will be more confident in home

A seller having a product inspected prior to it being put up for sale is not a new concept. This is clearly shown in the auto industry where used car dealers offer a host of multipoint pre-inspections on their vehicles.  The same principal applies to homes and home buyers; a pre-inspection gives the buyer more confidence in the quality of what they are looking at. This helps them focus their minds on how they can enjoy the home instead of what might be wrong with it.

Makes the job easier for the realtor

Of course, Realtors love the aspect of pre-inspections, but sellers should also see the benefit in making the job easier for the Realtor.  The less time a Realtor has to spend on the minutia of small issues with a home, the more they can focus on the actual marketing and promotion of the home.