If you’re selling a property and have reached the home inspection part of the process, you’ll be glad to know that you’re in the final stretch and your selling process is almost complete.
However, you should note that a home inspection may present new problems if you are unprepared, which is why it helps to have a plan ready, such as contacts for a plumber and HVAC system repairmen.
Let’s consider this seller’s guide for navigating a home inspection.
The Home Inspection Process – What to Expect as a Seller
Before finalizing your property sale, the buyer will typically hire a home inspector to evaluate your home’s interior and exterior conditions. This will reveal any issues with the property that you failed to address, such as damages and malfunctioning appliances, making it your responsibility to invest in repairs.
Most property sales give buyers the opportunity to back out of the deal if there are too many problems with the property, meaning that inspectors will try to find flaws and potential problems in your home. Once identified, the buyer will provide you with a list of these issues in the form of a repair request, allowing you to consult your agent with the best course of action.
It is up to you how many repairs you are willing to make, and it is the buyer’s choice whether to walk away from the deal or accept your offer, which means you should probably meet them halfway and handle some essential repairs. However, buyers may walk away from the deal without asking for repairs if they think they’ve been slighted.
What Can You Do to Prepare for a Home Inspection?
You can find a home inspection checklist online and go through the list of items, structures, and systems that are checked, making repairs as necessary since you probably already know what to fix.
However, you shouldn’t stress too much even if a buyer walks away since there are likely many more after your home.
You should prepare yourself mentally for handling some repairs since they are unavoidable and consult your real estate agent for any advice and tips beforehand to ensure there are hardly any inspection findings.
Negotiate Following a Home Inspection
It is fairly common for sellers to handle some repairs following a home inspection, but that doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate with the buyer to strike a better deal for yourself.
You can agree to make some repairs since it is not your responsibility to get everything fixed. However, major problems will need to be addressed, such as HVAC issues, roof repairs, plumbing problems, etc.
If you don’t want to invest in repairs at all, you can offer up pieces of furniture or electrical items like washing machines to avoid spending money, but this only works if the buyer is interested in what you have to offer.
Finally, if you have several offers on the table, you can leverage your offer with the current buyer by offering your backups an opportunity to move in instead, provided they forego the repairs.
Hire a Professional
Negotiation is your best tactic to strike a better deal if you fear losing too much money by agreeing to all the repairs.
Although handling some repairs is fairly reasonable, you might not have to if you have backup buyers willing to move in and forego these repairs.
WTB Home Inspector llc offer home inspection services that will make it easier for you to purchase your new home and identify any faults that need to be addressed.