For many Sellers wanting the highest and best offer, by the time you put your house on the market you have spent weeks, even months preparing for this big moment. The average Seller does not conduct a professional pre-inspection, instead spends lots of time and money on sprucing the place up;  painting, repairing deferred maintenance, beautifying the landscaping, cleaning, de-cluttering, and cleaning some more! The day arrives to hire a market-savvy Realtor. Make sure to take your Realtor’s advice on the final preparation of your home as they have a trained eye to help your house show its very best.

Offer accepted! The first big contingency hurtle is to get through the professional inspection period. During this time your Buyer will usually hire a professional home inspector to comb through all systems and structural areas of your home to look for problems or areas that need repair or maintenance. A professional home inspector can visually see and has the equipment to detect problems that you cannot. The average inspection period is 10 business days, this can be an agonizing two weeks of apprehension for the Seller.

Wouldn’t you rather know what to inspect when your Buyer is inspecting? A professional home pre-inspection is a small price to pay for this peace of mind. A smart Seller can have this done before they start spiffing up the place and decide which critical items should be taken care of to make the home show and sell for top dollar. You can also elect to use the Pre-inspection report as a selling tool.  Print out a list of the repairs you have done so your buyers can see the value in the repairs you have paid for, and have the report available for your Buyer to review. Potentially, a pre-inspection can also save money on negotiations.  A pre-inspection can dramatically help take the unknown out of the equation and your property will stand out as a stronger investment to Buyers.

Your professional Pre-inspection will include a report coving your inspector’s visual inspection of accessible systems and components of all major items inside and outside your home, for example:

• Structure and Foundation

• Electrical Systems

• Plumbing Systems

• Roofs and Attics

• Basements and Crawl Spaces

• Gutters and Drainage

• Walls, Floors and Ceilings

• Porches and Decks

• Property and Site

• Heating System

• Air Conditioning System

• Plumbing Fixtures in Kitchens, Baths and Laundries

• Water Heaters

• A Representative Sampling of Lights and Receptacles

• A Representative Sampling of Windows and Doors

• Built-in Appliances

Remember, you as the Seller will own your inspection. The Buyer has the responsibility to have their own professional inspection conducted to meet the Buyer’s satisfaction.

Blog by Leslie Dressel, Broker

Team Home Oregon Coast, Kelly Right Real Estate

[email protected]     (541) 921-0296

Leslie Dressel has recently joined the awesome Team at Home Oregon Coast. She is thrilled to have recently sold her home in McMinnville and has moved back to Salishan full-time. Even as a Realtor, she was on pins and needles during her home inspection period and wished she would have had the foresight to professionally pre-inspect so she would have known exactly what to expect! Leslie has enjoyed helping her wine country clients realize their real estate dreams, and looks forward to working with clients at the coast. Before moving to McMinnville, Leslie owned and operated the Bay House Restaurant on Siletz Bay.