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Helpful Hints for a Successful Home Inspection
If you've got a home inspection coming up, it's completely normal to feel a bit nervous. After all, nobody enjoys having strangers poke and prod around their home, looking for problems. Even if you think you know your home inside and out, you never know what they might find.
Our real estate agents talk to nervous sellers about this all the time. The best advice they give is to remain calm and make sure you're prepared. This will give you the best chance of having a successful inspection. Here are a few things you'll want to consider doing.
- Decide How to Deal with Known Issues
If you're aware of your home's problems, you cannot conceal them from the potential buyer. You'll need to decide whether you want to fix them before your inspection or disclose them. Your real estate agent can help you weigh the pros and cons and make a decision. It's also a good idea to have a game plan for how you'll handle any additional issues that may come up during your inspection. - Give the Inspector Time and Space
Typically, the buyer and the buyer's agent attend the inspection, and the seller is expected to leave the home. It's important not to rush the inspector. Instead, plan to go somewhere for several hours. As a general rule of thumb, an inspection takes approximately one hour per 1,000 square feet and a minimum of two hours. - Take Your Pets Somewhere Safe
For the comfort of everyone involved, plan to take your pets out of the house during the inspection. It's not enough to just lock them in a room or keep them in their crate. The inspector will need access to all parts of the home, so plan ahead and make sure you have a safe place to bring them. - Clear and Declutter
Keep in mind that the inspector will need to access things like the electrical panel, attic, and interior plumbing. If there's a bunch of junk in the way, he or she might not be able to inspect it -- and that's not good for your home sale! Make sure you've decluttered and cleared space as much as possible to make things easy for them. - Consider Whether You Need a Pre-Inspection
If you're not completely confident that your home will pass inspection, you might want to consider hiring your own professional to do a pre-inspection. This way, it's less likely that you'll run into unpleasant surprises. You'll also be able to fix any big issues that could be a sale-killer.
However, there are some drawbacks. If you get a pre-inspection, you're legally obligated to disclose it to potential buyers. It's possible that this report could highlight a bunch of problems that the buyer might not have come up with on their own. There's also no guarantee that the buyer's inspector won't find other things your pre-inspection didn't uncover.
Before you order a pre-inspection report, discuss it with your real estate agent. Together, you can decide whether it's a smart move.
Selling your home is easy when you have a great real estate agent by your side! If you're thinking about listing your home, you can trust the professionals at Laffey Real Estate. We'll make sure everything goes smoothly from listing to closing. Contact us today to get started.
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