I’ve seen it happen all too often… my South Charlotte home sellers receive an offer on their home. After an often arduous negotiation process in which the sellers feel that the buyers are trying to “steal” their home, and the buyers are afraid they are paying too much for a home in a declining market, both parties reach agreement on a contract price. Hooray, they think – we’re gonna close this baby soon!
Then….drum roll…the South Charlotte home for sale inspection takes place, and the home inspector finds 47 items that need correcting – some minor and some major – causing great angst among all parties. The buyers, seeing the long laundry list of deficiencies, suddenly fear they are buying a money pit.
The South Charlotte NC Home sellers think the inspector was just being overly picky and start getting in defensive mode (“I already gave away the house in the sales price; I’m not spending boat loads to make this house perfect!”). It’s back to the drawing board. We negotiate the repairs, the buyers insist that the repairs be made by licensed professionals, and the sellers have maybe 3 weeks to get estimates and get the job done. All while trying to pack up and plan for a move. Stressful, indeed!
Top 5 Reasons to Pre-Inspect Your Home for Sale in South Charlotte
I’ve seen a lot in my 4 years as a South Charlotte NC real estate expert! Home inspectors have found the following issues: termites and termite damage ($1,000 +), structural problems ($5,000 – $16,000), failed septic systems ($5,000), failed roofs ($8,000 – $20,000), electrical and plumbing problems ($300 – $1,000+). I have seen the anguish that these repairs and canceled purchases have caused my sellers.
So here’s my top 5 reasons to pre-inspect your home for sale in South Charlotte NC:
1. Uncover Costly Problems Early
Uncover Costly Problems BEFORE your buyers and their agent are watching over your shoulder! When you find problems in a South Charlotte NC home pre-inspection, you have the luxury of repairing them yourself (if you have the expertise) or hiring someone – on YOUR time – to fix them. You will have time to shop around, get estimates and repair the problem without having the buyers insist that “a licensed general contractor make the repairs.” For example, you don’t need a GC to replace caulk, but buyers may insist on it!
Discovering potential problems BEFORE buyers see your home can significantly reduce your stress levels later! And if you’re afraid a pre-inspection will discover an unknown problem, it’s better to know ahead of time because the buyer’s home inspector will likely find the problem anyway!
2. Save Money
If your South Charlotte home pre-inspection only uncovers minor problems like caulking, a loose shingle, missing lightbulb, negative grading, etc. – you can often make these repairs yourself, or hire a handyman. This will save you a LOT of money in the long run!
3. Improve the Marketability of your South Charlotte NC home for Sale
When my South Charlotte home sellers wisely choose to have a home pre-inspection and make the repairs BEFORE the house goes on the market, I always advertise that the home has been pre-inspected and all repairs have been made. If asked, I will share the inspection report and repair invoices. This gives buyers confidence – when choosing between similar homes, they may choose YOUR home because it has been pre-inspected and repaired.
4. Increase Your Negotiating Power
If you order a South Charlotte home pre-inspection before listing your home and make all necessary repairs, you can negotiate your sales price terms with more confidence up front, potentially netting you more money!
5. Close on Time
Often there are only 3 weeks between the buyer’s home inspection and the scheduled closing date, sometimes even less! This short time frame often prevents the seller from scheduling/completing the agreed-upon repairs, which could postpone closing. Such postponements can cost South Charlotte home sellers even more money if new arrangements have to be made with the movers/storage.
A South Charlotte Home Pre-Inspection Can Reduce Stress for Sellers
Whenever I take a new listing, I always recommend that my South Charlotte home sellers get a pre-inspection on their home for sale. Finding out what’s wrong with your house BEFORE it goes on the market can lessen stress, increase your chances of a quicker sale, and often save you money in the long run. Few of my South Charlotte home sellers act on my recommendation because of the cost (around $400), fears of what the inspector will find, or a head-in-the-sand mentality that “nothing is wrong with my house!” Many of these South Charlotte home sellers end up regretting their failure to have a home pre-inspection before their home goes on the market. Sellers, don’t put your head in the sand!
Schedule a Home Pre-Inspection Before Listing!
I hope the top 5 reasons to pre-inspect your home for sale in South Charlotte NC will give sellers a better appreciation of why pre-inspections are so important to the home sale and the bottom line. I think a home pre-inspection can be as instrumental in a successful home sale as competitive pricing and home staging and preparation.
South Charlotte NC Real Estate Specialist
If you’re interested in listing your South Charlotte NC home for sale, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss my extensive marketing plan which incorporates broad Internet advertising, SEO blogging and quality professional photos and video as well as comprehensive counseling on market data, pricing, staging, and South Charlotte home pre-inspection. Contact me for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss the chances of selling your South Charlotte NC home!
Let me put my knowledge and experience to work for YOU. For more information on how I can best serve your South Charlotte real estate needs, please fill out the online contact form, call, text or email me today. Let’s chat!
Melissa Brown ABR, SFR
About Melissa Brown
Melissa – Excellent reason why sellers should pre-inspect their home.