How A Home Inspection Can Help When Selling Your Home

A home inspection is usually one of the final stamps in the path to selling a house. Here in Lakeland, FL, and the surrounding areas, buyers’ offers to purchase a home are traditionally contingent on the results of a home inspection. Most often, the responsibility for arranging and paying for this home inspection lies with the home buyers. However, a home inspection (before listing) can also give a home seller great information that is useful in making a fast, competitive sale.

Let Us Explain

You may remember that during COVID-19, Florida housing was HOT. The housing market in Polk County was historically competitive, with sellers getting top-dollar and buyers were acting from a place of desperation due to low inventory. Houses went under-contract within hours of being listed, or even sooner.

We saw dangerous trends with some buyers submitting purchase offers that entirely waived the home inspection contingency! We truly do understand the concern and powerful emotions behind this. However, most experts do not recommend that buyers waive their inspection, and neither do we. Logic should take precedence here. Today we’ve heard the stories of buyers’ remorse, where they wish they had been a little more careful despite the circumstances of the day. Fortunately, this unusual trend has generally passed, and markets have regained some normalcy.

As a seller, you may actually relish the idea of buyers waiving their home inspection. Surely it’s a natural instinct, but we recommend some pause and reflection. Put simply, home inspections reveal defects with the dwelling. When homebuyers waive their home inspection, there is a higher chance that expensive repairs or even dangerous conditions may not be discovered until it’s too late. That can be a risk for both buyers and sellers. 

Gain a Negotiating Edge

It is the prepared seller who is equipped with a recent, independent home inspection report that can help assuage some of these fears, despite the market zeitgeist of the day. If you want to make repairs to your property before listing it to sell, this home inspection report can also help tell you where to start. Even if you are not looking to repair issues, at least knowing them – and then researching how much they cost to fix – can give you an edge in future negotiations. This is good for everyone, and can help sellers make a faster, more competitive sale.

Avoid Surprises

A home inspection is an opportunity to uncover any defects at the home. When you as a seller in Lakeland get this done before listing your home, we call this a “pre-listing” home inspection. The home inspector has a long list of things to check to identify issues. The approach for the professional is generally the same, and they will examine the home’s major systems, structure, exterior, and interior, and provide a written report showing the findings.

For a seller, this makes you aware of any issues that need to be fixed prior to selling the house, and you can avoid any surprises that may arise in the buyers inspection process. After all, you want to show up to the table in a strong and confident position!

Many people believe their house is perfect. However, in reality, years of familiarity, memories, and sentimental notions inevitably create those rosy-colored glasses which tend to conceal the true picture. Even the nicest, best kept homes likely have a few defects (and new ones too!). You’re absolutely better equipped when you are already aware. What you don’t want are surprises because they can put you at a disadvantage when negotiating. 

Defects Are Inescapable

Keep in mind that what you don’t repair, you are legally obligated to disclose to the buyer, even in “as-is” contracts. Some people believe they’re better off if they don’t know what defects are present, thinking that “ignorance is bliss.” This is a true folly, and here’s why: The defects are inescapable.

The buyer’s inspector will find it, and now you’re at a disadvantage. Although you may not have to make repairs, the buyer can still request them, or choose to cancel the contract and walk away if they find the property unacceptable. Once you know why they cancelled, you are now aware of the issues and must disclose them to the next buyer. All you did is waste precious time and effort. You weren’t as savvy as imagined. You didn’t achieve anything. Trust us here – knowledge is power.

You Have Options

• Make necessary repairs on your own schedule.
• Disclose the issues upfront to the buyer.
• Negotiate repair costs with the help of your agent.

If issues are found during your pre-listing home inspection, you can choose to make any necessary repairs on your own schedule or you can disclose them upfront to the buyer. If you choose to disclose the issues, this can help prevent the buyer from demanding you make the repairs later. 

Perhaps you aren’t equipped to deal with repairs, and this can be negotiated with the help of your agent. Plus, it helps add confidence when you decide on the listing pricing. Being equipped with the right information in advance is powerful, and when you’re fully-informed you can help prevent surprises when it’s least convenient…at the negotiating table.

Compare Reports

Thankfully, the traditional approach isn’t going away. Most buyers will still have their own inspection performed during the buying process. This is good for the general public at large. When sellers choose to do their own home inspection before selling, they may be able to compare their inspection report to that of the buyer. While the inspection reports will likely not be an exact match, it’s a good idea to look for any major differences that could end up costing you big.

Contact Whitt Inspections, LLC to Schedule Your Home Inspection

Getting a home inspection before listing your house for sale can save you time, money, and hassle during the selling process. This applies no matter what the competitive market trends are. It can also help speed up the buying process and make for a smoother transaction. At Whitt Inspections, LLC, we proudly offer professional inspection services and will deliver an unbiased home inspection report that helps prepare everyone for success. If you’re ready for the next steps, or want to know more, give us a call or schedule today!