The Cons:
1. It costs money and most sellers don’t want to pay for it.
2. It’s not transferable to the buyer – you can share it with the buyer, if you choose to, but the inspector has no obligation to any 3rd party
The Pros:
1. There are no surprises. Reduces the stress of waiting for the buyer’s home inspection results.
2. You find out up front if there are any bigger items that need addressing (recently I’ve done 2 where potential microbial growth was found in the attic)
You then have the chance to fix it in advance. If the seller can’t afford to fix it or won’t fix it, it’s an item that you now have to disclose but this is a good thing;
Disclosure – allows you to price the home accordingly
Disclosure – the buyer will find out at some point anyway and this eliminates offers from buyers who would have walked away due to the issue – the buyer knows up front and can decide if they want to deal with it or not
Disclosure – shows the buyer that your seller is honest and wants a fair deal for everyone
3. Gives the opportunity to fix the little annual maintenance items.
The fewer items found the better the overall impression for the buyer and this is often visible in the way the home shows. Imagine the buyer having a home inspection where there was nothing to be done. Maybe this ends up reflecting in better offers ($$$) or maybe it means your seller is the one who gets the offer. It definitely will mean an easier subject removal process!
4. Maybe it gives you an advantage during negotiations? You can have the confidence to tell the buyer that they are purchasing a home in great condition and to feel free to come back to the table if anything is found during the inspection (because you already know all is well or has been fixed).
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