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. 

GET YOUR QUOTE TODAY!

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!