What can scare off a buyer more than anything? The results from a home inspection. While it is true that this comprehensive evaluation of the home’s structure and systems is invaluable to a buyer to know exactly what they are getting, it can wreak havoc on achieving a successful real estate closing. From small items, like cracked switch plates or a dripping faucet, to much larger items like a structural defect or extensive termite damage, a home inspector may find things that send up a “red flag ” to a buyer.
As a seller, you want the process to go as easy as possible. You find a great agent, list your home for sale, get an acceptable offer and then what? The home inspection. Many sellers are nervous during the home inspection process. They wonder what will be found. Often they believe they have kept their home in great repair and then the home inspector finds something. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) offers some good general guidelines and questions for what to expect in a home inspection. Most times it is not an issue that should be a deal breaker for the buyer, but to the buyer it can be and sometimes, it can mean a return to the negotiating table. It can cause the buyer to ask for repairs, a credit toward the purchase price or, at times, cause the entire deal to fall apart. More importantly, if your buyer has an inexperienced agent, who is unskilled at managing expectations and keeping their buyer well informed, this can cause added headaches and a delay in closing … check out our recent post about “Emotional Intelligence in Real Estate. “
How can you avoid this? Many times, especially on a higher priced home I suggest the seller have a home inspection completed before we list. If the inspector finds anything serious then that is the time to have it repaired. Having that home inspection up front, with repairs completed to show potential buyers is like money in the bank. It avoids a wait time on a home inspection, negotiations on repairs, and a potential lost deal.
Note: At Luxury Simplified Real Estate we are dedicated to providing our Charleston, SC real estate clients with ideas, suggestions and marketing that make the selling process a positive experience. Certainly navigating the ins & outs of a home inspection is part of the real estate selling process – but it doesn’t have to be the most difficult part! Start by having a look at our FREE Home Inspection guide …
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