Ann, you do it for cars why not a house. Good idea to me.

Ann- This is a very good idea to get a preinspection. That way the seller can make all the repairs and have that inspection report as part of their disclosure. 

I think these are great ideas - I think that it shows to the potential buyers that you care about the house and it gives you a chance to fix anything that you need to before they inspect.

Very good advice, Ann. My assistant had an inspection and found mold. She had it mitigated before and saved out on a buyer being nervous.

Awesome Ann!!!  Great suggestion for sellers... It should also save the seller money as well because they shouldnt have the "second negiotiation" after the inspection that usually occurs! 

Ann this makes perfect sense. Knowing what the problems are ahead of time can avoid major headaches later on.

I agree Ann...I just wish Sellers weren't so resistant!

This is excellent advice for sellers.  I have found this to be one of the toughest sells.  Not many sellers are willing to do it.  Many have later told me they wished they would have followed my advice.

Frank - I never thought about it like that, and we do do that for cars - so why not houses?!

Katerina - exactly!  The sellers of mine that have actually done this have been able to provide those reports to the potential buyers and it gives those buyers a greater sense of comfort going forward.

Vincent - that's exactly what it conveys and those are almost the exact words I use when talking to sellers about doing this ahead of time.

Missy - your assistant did a good thing, and it paid off for her.  It would be great if more sellers would do as she did.

Many thanks for reading and commenting!
Ann

Kim - yes, the second round of negotiations shouldn't have to take place if this is done in advance, and assuming either the sellers address the issues that came up or reflected it in the listing price.

George - and some of the headaches can get rather large if things aren't addressed and handled appropriately.

Joan - I'm with you on that.  They just really need to see the merits in doing this in advance - it can really pay off if they'd take those steps.

Randy - you're right, it isn't easy convincing sellers that this really is a great thing to do.  It raises the comfort level of potential buyers, and as Kim said in her comment, it also helps prevent another round of negotiating as well.

Thanks for the comments!
Ann

Ann very good advice. There are often a few surprises that come up at home inspections that could have been addressed prior to if they were know issues. The pre-inspection can often remove a lot of the potential headaches.

Hi Bill - catching those surprises ahead of time allows the seller to address them either by fixing them or addressing them right upfront at showings so that buyers are as informed as they can be about the house.  I wish these would really catch on because they would make things a lot smoother for all parties.

Thanks for commenting!
Ann

Good advice Ann. Do I recognize that home inspector in the picture??

Monika - possibly!  He was new to me - from down in Massachusetts.

Ann,,,, I agree, this is excellent advice and something that isn't talked much upon on the sellers side by realtors. Maybe in fear of losing the sellers, because sellers don't like spending money on a house that they are selling?  Hence, why would a buyer want to spend money on something that they are just buying.

You said... "Major issues revealed are also best taken care of as well because many buyers are not interested, nor do they have the wherewithal to take care of major problems.  Those also tend to scare away more homebuyers as well." 

Great advice and great post....

Ann, Great Advice. This way they won't have any surprises later on. If they do this now they can at least know what to expect when they get a buyer

I absolutely agree! I suggest this to my sellers also. I have found that creating a "written suggestion" similar to this and adding it to my information folder given at first contact, eases them into the idea. They can be very hesitant. Given the right information, hopefully they can see the value.

Jeff - "Maybe in fear of losing the sellers, because sellers don't like spending money on a house that they are selling?  Hence, why would a buyer want to spend money on something that they are just buying."  Exactly why sellers really should give strong consideration to this - buyers usually aren't all that keen on having to spend money on things that a seller should have been taking care of all along.

Matt - the no surprises bit should be the single best motivation for having pre-inspections done.  Those surprises can be more costly later on than if sellers took care of them or addressed beforehand.

Stephanie - I like your 'written suggestion' being part of the presentation - I might borrow that idea for my own marketing proposals.  Thanks for sharing that!

Many thanks for reading and for the comments!
Ann

Hi Ann,

I perform prelisting inspections once in a while. I have been told the transaction does go much smoother and quicker as well.

unfortunately this concept is change which we all know people do not like.

I have a sellers checklist that I give to new Realtors for their clients and it is a big hit, almost like having a pre-listing inspection but the seller doesn't have to pay for the list.

good post!

Carla

Hi Carla - thanks for stopping by!  I'd love to have a copy of that list you mentioned - if you don't mind sharing it with someone out of your market area.

Thanks for the comments!
Ann

Hi Ann,

I will send it over! these items are based on actual % of most times found on Inspections

and most are easy and inexpensive.

thanks,

Carla

Hi Carla - thanks for that list!  And you're right, those usually do show up on most inspections and they are easy to take care from the start - thanks so much for sharing!

Ann

Ann-I agree I think pre listing inspections are really important.  One of the things I did was always have a prelisting termite and roof inspections.  Yes you have to disclose but in most instances the seller's knew that buyers often times required clear roof and termite to obtain their loan.  Great post and at this point ...as a seller it's not a bad idea to have an appraisal done too! 

Hi Midori - thanks for reading and commenting!  I think it's a great idea for a seller to have a lot of things done ahead of time - it makes for a higher comfort level for the buyer, and sure saves on surprises down the road, too!

Ann

I like the idea of a pre-inspection and a pre-appraisal.  It can certainly nip the situation in the bud if there are any problems.  That way the sellers won't have sticker shock, too if it is something costly that the buyer is going to end up needing.  

Hi Ed - you hit the nail on the head with your comment!  No one likes surprises like those that can pop up on inspections - better to know ahead of time and deal with them right up front.

Thanks for reading and commenting!
Ann