Straight Talk to Sellers Needing to Sell Their Homes
One of the last things sellers want to do when getting ready to list their home is to spend money on the home unnecessarily. After all, their main goal is to net all the money they can on the sale of the home. Why pay for something for a home they are trying to 'get rid of'?
Most sellers think a home inspection is something a buyer will order once they have an accepted offer to purchase the home. Yes, most buyers will order and pay for a home inspection, but they will also walk away from your home if the inspection uncovers health and safety issues that could have been prevented or repaired before the buyer saw it at its worst.
What? I thought the buyer wanted MY home!
We are seeing this more and more in the Baldwin County Alabama real estate market. Homes for sale are receiving offers that sellers are accepting, home inspections are conducted, and a few buyers are walking away.
Why not just ask the seller to repair the problems?
With so many properties on the market similar to yours, a buyer may not want to deal with problems and damage caused by a leaking roof, mold in the attic, and other such concerns. They may feel you have had ample time to make any needed repairs, and yet you haven't. Of course, you've noticed how your roof has looked pretty rough and has aged since Hurricane Katrina howled through and loosened the shingles. Sure, the patch job held for a while, but come on, that was almost four years ago. And secretly, you've been hoping no one would notice.
There are other homes available in Baldwin County without these concerns and appear to be better maintained which translates to a buyer as a better overall value.
If a buyer can spend $350 to inspect your home and then just walk away, wouldn't it be better in this market for you to spend the $350, make needed repairs, and present a more hassle-free home to compete against the others?
A home inspector typically returns a list of two or three dozen items that need attention in most homes. It would be in a seller's best interest to be the first and sometimes ONLY person to see that initial report, repair the small picky items, and head off health and safety nightmares that cause buyers to walk away with the check for your house still in their hands.
If you would like to view all homes on the market in Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and the surrounding communities, visit www.ByTheBay.info and for a list of foreclosed homes, and condos visit www.BaldwinForeclosedHomes.com
Comments(6)