Should I do a Pre-Listing Inspection before listing my house for sale?

Today we tackle a slightly more controversial topic, the pre-listing home inspection. Let me start with why some would say that you should not do a home inspection before listing. The reason is that it may turn up something you were not aware of and any reports you have need to be disclosed to the buyer. So what you are telling me is that if there is evidence of significant mold under the home and you don't "know" about it you are hoping that the buyer's inspector does not find it and you can offload your home to someone that certainly doesn't expect mold to be forming under there new purchase. This to me feels a little like the used car lot and not showing a lot of confidence in your product nor transparency in the transaction. So I think its much better to know what you are dealing with before you list your home than to try and deal with it during a time of stress and pressure to make a decision (like when its under contract and the buyer is asking for large credits on a repair request).

You will likely do a bunch of other work to your home to get it to picture-perfect and ready to sell to get the highest possible price, that is very smart. You should not stop however at painting the walls, replacing carpets, and putting a little money into the landscaping. You should have a pre-listing home inspection and get a list of the deficiencies. Then you should hire licensed, bonded, and insured contractors to make the repairs that the inspection uncovered. This is something TheQwikFix can do for you and we can even take our payment from escrow out of the proceeds of the sale, so why wouldn't you want to present the best product for sale?  

Once the work is completed it you should have documentation available to demonstrate to interested buyers that you have already done an inspection and you have corrected a variety of issues. In fact, TheQwikFix system makes this easy by making our quote/invoice mirror the items called out on the inspection report. If we now go back to the used car analogy we appear more like a reputable car dealership with professionally trained mechanics that provide a certified used vehicle for sale which includes a list of all the items checked and the ones that were corrected. As the seller, this should give you confidence during the contingency period that the great price you received from the buyer is something you can hold firm to since you know the product you are offering is quality.  

If the property does have significant issues, I promise there are other very interested buyers for this as well and they will be chomping at the bit, the thing is that most homes fall in the middle and have some issues that will need to be corrected before they are transferred, so take control of the transaction and get a pre-listing inspection. 

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What repairs should I request the seller make?

After the home inspection is completed it can be one of the more stressful parts of buying a home.  No homes, even brand new, are ever perfect, so a good inspector will find flaws with any home out there, it is their job. They will often come back with list of a dozen or more things that should be considered and in some cases the list can be very long and in others it can even be a bit scary.  

You are probably in a position now were you were super excited to get your offer accepted and now you are potentially second guessing that or worried if you ask for to much in a repair request that the seller will use the opportunity to back out of the transaction.  

Now this is just my opinion but I am often asked what items I would ask for in a repair request.  I should also caveat that this is based on a market that is relatively balanced between favoring the buyers or sellers as in its not super hot or difficult to sell.  

When you are walking through a property and likely spend some time in all the rooms and the area surrounding the home you have a chance to see what is on all the surfaces, you have a chance to turn on lights and faucets, open and close doors, flush toilets as well as note if there is stains on the carpet, scratches in the wood floors or mis-matched paint from poor repair work on walls or ceilings.  You can see if the appliances are new or older and the same with heating and AC or water heaters.  You will have information on all these things before you make an offer.  So I am of the opinion that you should base your offer on that information.  If you know the appliances don't match and are aging, then consider that in your offer, same for the heating and cooling systems.  If the water heater works fine but if it is 10-15+ years olds I think your best bet is getting a home warranty for the an additional year or two after. 

So what do you ask for in a repair request? The things that the average person could not have known about a property even after walking through and looking around a bit.

This often boils down to electrical, plumbing and things you may not see or want to see on a home tour like the roof, crawlspace or attic.  Sometimes it takes running the water for several minutes before you recognize the plumbing may be slow to drain at one of the sinks.  Another item is the components like main electrical panel or heating equipment.  Perhaps you knew the home was 35 years old and where planning for new AC but you did not realize that the heating equipment was something that has long since been recalled, or that the panel is made with materials that are no longer recommended.  

The attic is another area that is not really considered when the average person walks through a home.  This area can show many signs that lead to expensive issues.  Things like rodent troubles, unprofessional electrical work, signs of a leaking roof, issues with ducting or insulation to name a few. When these sorts of items show up I think it is fair to ask the seller to deal with them, unless they disclosed these issues ahead of time.    

At the end of the day every home is different, every transaction is different, the main thing to remember is that everyone involved wants to make the deal happen and generally these things can all be solved and many times without it breaking the bank.  

If you have questions or need some need a quote on your home inspection and repair request just visit www.theqwikfix.com and within 24 hours we will have a detailed quote ready for you!

What are the most common repairs require for a roof

 Let's talk about the roof regards to a home inspection report.  If the roof is not in good shape this can have a compounding effect on the issues that will come up with a home if not properly maintained.  It's no surprise though that most people do not go up and take a look at their roof until a problem has occurred OR the ho
me inspector heads up for a look. 

The most common issues we see is the roof covering itself.  The asphalt shingle roof will deteriorate over time, the nails will pop out that were used to secure the shingles and in really worn roofs you will see the shingles are cracked and have lost most of their effectiveness, leaving just the paper underneath protecting the wood sheathing.  For around $500-600 dollars we are able to correct the small sections that need repairs, seal up popped nails.  If the roof needs a full replacement that really depends on the materials and the size but can cost anywhere $12,000 on a smaller roof and larger ones can be two or three times that cost. 

On the tile roofs we often see tiles that have cracked or slipped out of place.  These roofs are expensive but very durable.  Most of the slipped and cracked or broken tiles called out on an inspection can also be repaired for $500-$600.  

The next most common item that gets flagged on a roof is the plumbing vents that penetration the roof.  Because of this they need to be properly flashed and sealed.  So of the best methods of accomplishing this have changed over time so what may have been acceptable at the time the roof was installed has changed and will generally be add to the list of issues in the report.  Depending on the size of the roof and the issues with the plumbing vents this can be repaired for $250-$500.  

Lastly, we see a lot of issues with drainage of water from the roof.  Proper flashing and and gutter systems go a long way to keep water from intruding into a property and y we will often see lots of little things that seem like an afterthought be really make an impact, things like kick-out, cricket and drip edge flashings. 

Make sure to follow our us to stay up to date with the platform as well as continuing to learn more about home repairs that are often needed to close real estate transactions. If you need a quote, just visit www.theqwikfix.com! 

 

Plumbing is another common item that needs to be maintained

Plumbing is another common item that needs to be maintained.  The most common areas of concern which are checked during a home inspection are the angle stop valves which control the flow of water from the wall to the faucets.  They often corrode and become a potential leaking point or do not work to turn off the water in a more urgent situation. 

The other big one is definitely the drains.  In older homes the cast iron sewer lines are generally a concern but there are also many items that can create issues before anything reaches the main sewer line.  The small leak under the kitchen sink can damage cabinets, walls and more.  Most of these valve and drain issues under the sinks like loose drains, improper sloping, or leaks can be corrected as well for around $100 per sink.  This is also roughly the cost to have a problematic sink drain snaked.

Water heaters are another plumbing related issue that commonly shows up on the home inspection report.  This can be things like proper strapping and blocking or flexible water and gas lines allowing for movement during a seismic type event.  In California area most water heaters are gas powered and recommendations tied to the flue and venting are commonly exposed as on a water heater inspection.  The strapping can be a relatively easy low cost fix if there is good access to the unit.  When the unit is set back in a closet or similar cubby it may need to be un-installed to add the proper strapping. This make this repair a similar amount of labor as installing a new heater so it can range between $400 and $500.

Make sure to follow our us to stay up to date with the platform as well as continuing to learn more about home repairs that are often needed to close real estate transactions. If you need a quote, just visit www.theqwikfix.com! 

The most common items flagged in a home inspection report and the costs to repair, Volume 1

 

So what are the most common items that inspectors flag in their reports AND more importantly what do those repairs cost?  This is a question that comes up on just about every home purchase but it's not a question that is easy to answer, at least not until now.

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In short its electrical, plumbing and a handful of common roofing issues.  Most of the items we see you can put into a few buckets, DIY that maybe should have been done by a professional, deferred maintenance or problems created by not fixing something when it first became an issue and lastly a lot of safety items that may have been fine at the time of construction but recommend changes get suggested for safety improvements.

Let's break it down a little more however. Electrical is often junction boxes that are mis-wired, loose, have broken covers, or are not properly working. All of which are relatively simple fixes and generally competed for around $50-75 or less for each one. 

Another common item in the electrical section of a report is tied to the GFCIs in a home.  If the home is older it may not have GFCI is places within 6 feet water.  In even older homes they may not have the ground wire at all this the older outlets you see with 2 prongs versus the more modern 3 prong receptacles.  The cost to just install a GFCI switch can be completed for less than $75 however running all new electrical can run anywhere between $8000 and $15000 depending on the size of the property.

We also see a lot of situations where the homeowner has used an extension cord where running a new line would be more appropriate.  These is often found in garages or on the exterior for one reason or another.  The fix really depends on the complexity and whether or not a new line can be run from an existing receptacle or if new line needs to be run from the main electrical panel.  These variables can make the cost of this as low as $250 and its commonly between $250 and $350.

Lastly, I recommend checking all the lights in your home and replacing any burnt out bulbs prior to listing but certainly before the inspection, even the hard to reach ones on that vaulted ceiling.  If we don't know that it works, it will likely be called out on the report and can be one less thing to deal with during the transaction.

Make sure to follow our us to stay up to date with the platform as well as continuing to learn more about home repairs that are often needed to close real estate transactions. If you need a quote, just visit www.theqwikfix.com!

How the Idea for TheQwikFix was born

Like so many other startups TheQwikFix was born while I was trying to deal with my own problems selling real estate that we had rehabbed.  For over 15 years I have been rehabbing homes, starting with an out of date 1980s condo which I lived in at the time to more recently having built a system to routinely find great deals, acquire them and systematically rehab and sell them for a profit.  This is purely a side hustle business that I have worked hard to create systems for so that it does not take a significant amount of my time from day to day while I focus on my corporate career with with a cyber security software startup.  

One of the issues we would deal with was finishing one property and moving the crews to the next project which was also keeping them busy.  After the previous property went under contract the home inspector would always find something that the buyers would want fixed from the report. Generally we would agree since we had a network of contractors but wait, they were already busy on the next house.  We were now struggling to find guys to do a handful of generally small quick fixes.  We also didn't have a good system to document this repairs to show the buyer.  

For us that was a challenge because eventually one of our contractors who had missed something would go back and correct for no cost to us but that left me with no proof the repairs were completed by a licensed contractor and that I had paid them which is generally what the buyers want to see.  After one transaction that was particularly difficult I asked my agent if dealing with Repair Requests was a common issue?  I asked if there was a company that could make that problem go away for real estate agents would he use them?  The answer was "I have 4 or 5 deals I would give you today if you built that!" 

We did a little more investigation and could not find any company in California that may have solved this problem so we immediately saw an opportunity.  As we continued our search we found companies that were using national databases to create quotes for repairs but none of the work could actually be completed by them.  We found a few construction companies that you could email the list to in a few states but nothing like the technology we have already built and for sure nothing like we are envisioning for the future. 

Our belief is that we can streamline and bring transparency to this process with our technology. This includes way more than just a quote for each item on the Repair Request too.  There are also challenges to be solved with licensed contractors.  The systems we are building not only provide accurate actionable quotes and work orders for our clients and contractors but systems for scheduling, proof of services and much more.  The fact that we can also take our payment from escrow out of the proceeds of the sale are also a nice bonus for everyone involved in the transaction.  This truly aligns everyones incentives to get the deal done which includes handling the Repair Request with quality systems.  Of course if you are the buyer we can schedule to complete the work generally right after you take ownership and receive payment with a variety of options. 

Introducing "Me" the Founder of TheQwikFix

 

Let me start TheQwikFix blog by introducing myself and providing some background which I believe is really important to our complete story and how TheQwikFix came into existence.  My name is Jeremy Henley and I grew up on a small farm basically in the middle of nowhere on the Eastern side of Washington State.  My parents raised me to work hard and gave me the confidence to believe that anything was possible.  I grew up working on the farm at a young age, playing sports and riding bikes with my neighborhood buddies.  In the summertime it was like a scene from the movie Sandlot both at the pool and on the baseball field. When it was starting to get dark that meant it was time to head home for dinner.  We didn't have a lot but I had no idea that I was missing anything.  Although I would not want to live there now, I would not trade growing up there for anything.  

After graduating with a degree in Marketing from Washington State University I moved to San Francisco which was nearing the at height of the dot com boom and eventual bust.  I took a job selling industrial uniforms basically door to door and cold calling for hours every single week to get new business.  It was hard but I was successful and relentless with my efforts to advance.  I was always aware that something special was happening in the Silicon Valley and kept a close eye on the news of who and what was happening, like someday I would make a transition and be apart of the tech industry there one day.  

After proving I was able to sell and lead I was promoted a few times to different management roles and continued to excel. A few years later I was ready to move to something more interesting and began selling medical equipment in the operating room.  These were long days of standing in the OR showing doctors how best to use the tools we offered. It was a very exciting and stressful role but I found myself learning more about medicine day in and day out than expanding my business skills so I decided to take a risk and left behind a multi-billion dollar company with great benefits and stock ownership plans where I was climbing the corporate ladder so to speak and began working for a small software company that was an early player in the identity theft protection space.  This was 2009, before anyone really knew or understood what a data breach was, like the ones that hit HomeDepot, Neiman Marcus and the US Government.  

This was my first experience working for a small company, other than my farming days of course.  I loved that I was able to have an impact from day one.  I loved that I was involved in the decisions that drove the company forward and really loved closing deals that powered this organization especially when I saw it actually creating work for new employees and new vendors to support us.  Plus we were taking on the big companies and still winning just like every startup dreams of doing.  I was largely responsible for blazing the trails and closing many of the largest accounts for this company and in the industry.  

During this time we relocated to sunny San Diego which will be home base for the rest of my time, you just cannot beat the weather, the people and the laid back lifestyle.  From here we built out the identity theft company and this ultimately played out very well for the original investors who exited when a private equity firm stepped in and took control.

After that experience I was recruited to work for two different larger competitors but I only wanted to work for another startup in the tech space.  An old friend that knew I was on the lookout for my next thing presented a great offer and I landed at cyber security company where we as a company were blazing trails again to find the right product/market fit for the excellent ideas the founders had developed.  

This was also a very interesting time as we continued to iterate on the original plans to find the right place for what we offered.  I was again able to grab the attention of some the largest potential clients in the world for this company which helped put it on the map.  In fact I spend most of my days still making this happen and then spending my downtime, evenings and weekends on my side hustles, yep two of them. which I believe one of them has something that will change the way residential real estate is transacted with regards to necessary repairs tied to closing the deal. 

My next post will speak more about TheQwikFix, how we discovered the opportunity and the problems we are planning to fix for the world of real estate specifically around home inspections and the repairs that are identified by these reports.