Charlotte Home Inspector
704-778-1353
info@winston-salemhomeinspections.com
Home Inspector Charlotte, NC
AHI HOME & BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES
Serves the Winston Salem / Greensboro, NC Metro area
Charlotte Home Inspector
Pre-Listing Inspection

If you're like most home sellers, you have probably lived in your home for more than 5
years. It is in these last 5 years some major changes have occurred in the sale process
of a home.

1.        Sellers Disclosure.
The biggest change is the requirements of providing a "SELLERS DISCLOSURE." You the home owner must
list all the known defects in the home.
2.        Home Inspectors.

The home inspector is usually hired by the Buyer and arrives at your property after a contract is negotiated
to inspect and list any defects, questionable areas, upgrade suggestions and maintenance.

When significant problems are found by the Home Inspector the buyer may:
  • terminate the contract.
  • or ask for inflated amounts to have the problem fixed.
  • or be so alarmed by the defect found, will terminate the contract without
    giving you the chance to fix it.

Either way your house is back on the market and the problem is still there for the next buyer
to find.

How easy is selling a house with a Seller's Inspection?

If a seller's inspection is performed and significant damage or defects are found.  There will
be disappointment, but no hysteria or regret. No deal about to go sour. The agent will
discuss the problems with the Seller and will determine if this listing is "AS IS" with full
disclosure, or if any repairs need correcting to expedite the sale. The Seller then corrects
any problem areas, and calls for a re-inspection of the home.  The home inspector returns a
clean report.   Next, a Buyer enters a contract agreement with the Seller. The Buyer will
choose to trust the home inspection or will have another.   No major problems should be
found by the second inspection. The deal coasts downhill to closing. Everyone is happy.

Twenty real advantages to the seller:

    1)  The seller can choose a ASHI inspector rather than be at the mercy of the       
    buyer's choice of inspector
    2)  The seller can schedule the inspections at the seller's convenience.
    3)  It might alert the seller of any items of immediate personal concern, such as
    radon gas or active termite infestation.
    4) The seller can assist the inspector during the inspection, something normally not    
    done during a buyer's inspection.
    5) The seller can have inspector correct any misstatements in the inspection report   
    before it is generated.
    6) The report can help the seller realistically price the home if problems exist.
    7) The report can help the seller substantiate a higher asking price if problems don't   
    exist or have been corrected.

A seller inspection reveals problems ahead of time which:

    8)    Might make the home show better.
    9)  Gives the seller time to make repairs and shop for competitive contractors.
    10)  Permits the seller to attach repair estimates or paid invoices to the inspection
    report.
    11)  Removes over-inflated buyer procured estimates from the negotiation table.
    12)  The report might alert the seller to any immediate safety issues found, before
    agents and visitors tour the home.
    13)  The report provides a third-party, unbiased opinion to offer to potential buyers.
    14)  Seller inspection permits a clean home inspection report to be used as a
    marketing tool.
    15)  A seller inspection is the ultimate gesture in forthrightness on the part of the
    seller.
    16)  The report might relieve a prospective buyer's unfounded suspicions, before
    they walk away.
    17)  A seller inspection lightens negotiations and 11th - hour renegotiations.
    18)  The report might encourage the buyer to waive the inspection contingency.
    19)  The deal is less likely to fall apart the way they often do when a buyer's
    inspection unexpectedly reveals a problem, last minute.
    20)  The report provides full-disclosure protection from future legal claims.

Advantages to the real estate agent:

    1)    Agents can recommend certified ASHI inspectors as opposed to being at the
    mercy of buyer's choices in inspectors.
    2)    Sellers can schedule the inspections at seller's convenience with little effort on
    the part of agents.
    3)    Sellers can assist inspectors during the inspections,  something normally not
    done during buyer's inspections.
    4)    Reports help sellers see their homes through the eyes of a critical, third-party,
    thus making sellers more realistic about asking price.
    5)    Agents are alerted to any immediate safety issues found, before other agents and
    potential buyers tour the home.
    6)    Repairs made ahead of time might make homes show better.
    7)    The reports provide third-party, unbiased opinions to offer to potential buyers.
    8)  Clean reports can be used as marketing tools to help sell the homes.
    9)  Reports might relieve prospective buyer's unfounded suspicions, before they walk
    away.
    10)  Seller inspections eliminate buyer's remorse that sometimes occurs just after an
    inspection.
    11)  Seller inspections reduce the need for negotiations and 11th - hour renegotiations.
    12)  Seller inspections relieve the agent of having to hurriedly procure repair
    estimates or schedule repairs.
    13)  The reports might encourage buyers to waive their inspection contingencies.
    14)  Deals are less likely to fall apart the way they often do when buyer's inspections
    unexpectedly reveal problems, last minute.
    15)  Reports provide full-disclosure protection from future legal claims.

Advantages to the home buyer:

    1)  The inspection is done already.
    2)  The inspection is paid for by the seller.
    3)  The report provides a more accurate, third-party view of the condition of the
    home prior to making an offer.
    4)  A seller inspection eliminates surprise defects.
    5)  Problems are corrected or at least acknowledged prior to making an offer on the
    home.
    6)  A seller inspection reduces the need for negotiations and 11th - hour
    renegotiations.
    7)  The report might assist in acquiring financing.
    8)  A seller inspection allows the buyer to sweeten the offer without increasing the
    offering price by waiving inspections.  

Common myths about seller inspections:

Question? Don't seller inspections kill deals by forcing sellers to disclose defects they
otherwise wouldn't have known about?

Answer.  No. Any defect that is material enough to kill a real estate transaction is likely going
to be uncovered eventually anyway.  It is best to discover the problem ahead of time, before
it can kill the deal.

Question?  Isn't a home inspector's liability increased by having his/her reports be seen by
potential buyers?

Answer.  No.  There is no liability in having your seller permit someone who doesn't buy the
property see your report.  And there is less liability in having a buyer rely on your old report
when the buyer is not your client and has been warned not to rely on your report, than it is
to work directly for the buyer and have him be entitled to rely on your report.

Question? Don't seller inspections take too much energy to sell to make them profitable for
the inspector?

Answer.  Perhaps.  But not when the inspector takes into account the marketing benefit of
having a samples of his/her product (the report) being passed out to agents and potential
buyers who are looking to buy now in the inspector's own local market, not to mention the
seller who is likely moving locally and in need of an inspector, plus the additional chance of
re-inspection work being generated for the inspector.

Question? A newer home in good condition doesn't need an inspection anyway.  Why
should the seller have one done?

Answer. No. Unlike real estate agents whose job it is to market properties for their sellers,
inspectors produce objective reports.  If the property is truly in great shape the inspection
report becomes a pseudo marketing piece with the added benefit of having been generated
by an impartial party.

In summary, seller inspections streamline the real estate sales process for all parties
involved.  We recommend that every home be inspected before being put on the market
(listed) and recommends annual inspections for homes that aren't for sale.

North Carolina Cites Served!

Archdale / Asheboro / China Grove / Clemmons / Climax / Colfax / Denton
/ Gilford / Greensboro / High Point / High Rock Lake / Kernersville / Level Cross / Lewisville /
Lexington / Mocksville / New Market / Pleasant Garden / Randleman / Rockwell / Salisbury /
Thomasville /Welcome / Winston-Salem / Woodleaf



North  Carolina Counties served:   Gilford, Forsyth, Davidson
Contact:
NC & SC Licensed Home Inspector
David A. Johnson
Phone:  704-778-1353
Fax: 704-636-2800
info@winston-salemhomeinspections.com
704-778-1353
home inspector
Home Inspector Charlotte, NC
Winston Salem  home inspector - Winston-Salem home inspector - Winston Salem home inspector - Winston Salem Home Inspector