Seller Strategies
Some strategy is not for the faint of heart. As in all things, where there is risk, there is reward, and such is the case in top home selling strategies. One bold strategy is the use of a pre-inspection of the home. While there is some risk, a strong case can be made for its implementation.
When a progressive agent suggests a pre-inspection report, often homeowners recoil at the thought. The homeowner feels it can un-necessarily bring out flaws. Another question is often, what good can it be when the potential buyer will get their own inspection anyway? More conservative agents may steer clear for the same reasons.
Contrary to this common, but outdated, belief a pre-inspection can actually speed up the sale of your home. Any inspection will reveal to the seller and buyer any potential problems with the home. When a pre-inspection is utilized, it puts the power in the seller’s hands. Pre-inspections are a valuable tool that can:
-Give the seller the opportunity to fix any issues that may affect the purchase price. Addressing issues before hand is more cost effective and avoids the hassle, rush and cost of inflated charges for a job where time is of the essence.
-Give the seller the opportunity to adjust the cost to reflect any fixes that will be left to the purchaser.
-The home owner is not caught off guard and keeps the negotiating power in their hands. It helps avoid the last minute price negotiation, or worse, deal breakers.
-Gives the owner/agent the opportunity to highlight assets and point out fixes and upgrades that may not have presented themselves otherwise.
-Adds credibility to the listing agent and reflects the integrity of the seller.
-Give the seller the opportunity to adjust the cost to reflect any fixes that will be left to the purchaser.
-The home owner is not caught off guard and keeps the negotiating power in their hands. It helps avoid the last minute price negotiation, or worse, deal breakers.
-Gives the owner/agent the opportunity to highlight assets and point out fixes and upgrades that may not have presented themselves otherwise.
-Adds credibility to the listing agent and reflects the integrity of the seller.
Not only is a pre-inspection a time saver, it is a great selling strategy. Today’s home buyers are a cut-to-the-chase group of consumers. They are informed and unafraid. They know a home will have its own set of issues and they are willing to tackle them, and some relish the thought. A pre-inspection cuts to the quick for the potential buyer and puts everything on the table, which puts the contract on the table that much sooner. Condition is a huge issue in any home sale, but how that matters has changed. With the onslaught of do-it-yourselfers and flippers, some condition issues are expected. How they are handled is now at the forefront. Savvy buyers now factor in more homes as possibilities, with the issues of repairs as a secondary concern when those issues are dealt with forthrightly.
When a home is pre-inspected, a seller can market it in a new way. It is an attention getting plus when a buyer is setting up their open house viewings and sees that a particular home offers a certified inspection report up front. It draws the buyer in, fosters a non adversarial relationship and avoids the buyer beware attitude. A guaranteed inspection report also gives today’s consumer what they expect; a what you see is what you get deal. It also gives the seller what they want; a fast and smooth transaction. In today’s California real estate market, a pre-inspection can play an essential role in the smooth sale of a home.
