Home inspections aren’t just for the buyer’s side. Both
sides benefit by knowing what’s in need of repair before going into a contract.
Think of it as a means of knowing exactly what will come out of a purchase. There
are few things worse than being on either side of the table not knowing what to
expect from a negotiation.
For the seller, once the inspection is done by a
professional – not a friend, or one who also happens to be a contractor, there is
little doubt as to what really needs to be done to the property. Using a
licensed, and insured, professional inspector also can be instrumental in
keeping a friend or relative from becoming less than friendly when additional
repairs are found by the buyer’s inspector. It’s also much easier to ask a
non-biased inspector to compensate you for losses associated with a less-than-thorough
inspection.
Repairs, if necessary, can then be made via a bidding
process for the work, or using a contractor most qualified, as opposed to
finding a contractor that can simply do it the fastest, just so you can make
the sale by the required time. Needless to say, the fastest isn’t going to be
the least expensive. The ability to control the contractor’s time frame can
save you the amount of money, or more, that the home inspection cost in the
first place.
Yes, there will probably be repairs that need to be done,
but you’ll be able to advertise them (“Has new kitchen sub-floor”) on the
listing, and perhaps get a faster sale. Hoping beyond hope that the buyer
doesn’t get an inspection isn’t your best bet, as most buyers know to do a professional
inspection
Additionally, when the buyer’s home inspection happens, and
you know it will, you can negotiate from a position of strength, and have peace
of mind knowing any necessary repairs have already been accomplished. It’s
always a good thing to walk into any meeting with everything covered.
The buyer, even if they never intend on living in the
property, should also have a home inspection done. Not doing so just invites
additional, unplanned expenses that will probably go way beyond the cost of the
inspection. Unless you really want to pay for something that should have
already had repaired, or negotiated into the purchase price, you can’t go wrong
with a home inspection. This goes double if you intend on living in the home.
Home inspectors are incredibly good at their job. Where
buyers/owners may not want to get up under the house, or on the roof to look
for damage, these inspectors do it every day. They know what dry rot vs.
termite or water damage looks like. It’s really the only way you can make sure
you get everything looked over properly before you sell or buy a property.
They’re trained to look behind flashing, or aluminum window trim for damage
that isn’t evident to the casual eye. They also list it out for you, so you can
put out a call for bids with all the relevant information. Saving you time, and
money.
Finally, unlike in previous years, finding and
scheduling home inspectors is also quite a bit easier, as there are many more inspectors
out there. Just make sure they’re licensed and insured.
