Buying or selling a house can be a stressful life event for both the buyer and the seller. You finally find that perfect home and are sitting down with your agent to write an offer. You get to the section pertaining to home inspections and whether or not your offer is dependent upon an inspection. In any cases, this is the time your agent will tell you directly or hint at the fact that they don't believe you need a home inspection. Why does this take place and why can home inspection be such a touchy subject?
One reason is that in real estate, agents do not get paid until the home sells. Another reason is that agents are the standing the middle ground after a home inspection, between the buyer who may want certain items repaired or price reductions for these items, and the seller who neither party wants to make angry feel offended. This can be a fine line to walk and can make for some very uncomfortable conversation for the agents involved. Wouldn't it be great if we had the home inspection report before written offers are made?
One reason is that in real estate, agents do not get paid until the home sells. Another reason is that agents are the standing the middle ground after a home inspection, between the buyer who may want certain items repaired or price reductions for these items, and the seller who neither party wants to make angry feel offended. This can be a fine line to walk and can make for some very uncomfortable conversation for the agents involved. Wouldn't it be great if we had the home inspection report before written offers are made?
This is where seller's inspections come in to play. Most people don't consider getting an inspection done on their home when they sell it, because home inspection has always been primarily an activity that takes place during the finalizing stages of a purchase and by the buyer, not the seller. There is nothing that says this has to be the case. Home inspections can be performed by the seller at listing of the property. The reports can then be given to the potential buyers when they look at the home. Not only does this smooth over some of the stress of the purchase transaction, it also projects a feeling of honesty and transparency to potential buyers.
It is important to take a few things into consideration when getting a seller's inspection or when looking at a seller's inspection as a buyer. Those things are:
-Is the inspector honest and straight forward when reporting on the condition of the home? You would not want an inspector that is "helping" the agent or seller in portraying an image of the home that is not what is visibly evident. Home inspections should always first and foremost be a report on the conditions evident at the time of the inspection, irregardless of who is involved in the transaction.
-Is the inspector friends or family with the seller or agent? This can be a tough question particularly in smaller, more rural markets where everybody knows everybody else. These smaller markets are great in that as everybody gathers at local sporting events or community activities there is a real sense of togetherness and friendship, but in many cases everybody involved is an acquaintance of each other. In this case the honesty and integrity of the inspector and the knowledge that the inspector is going to report on the conditions evident at the time of the inspection no matter what are what will need to rule the day.
-When was the inspection performed and has anything changed or been altered since then? Remember a home inspection is a snapshot in time, and that time is the moment the inspector viewed the conditions only. Because of this it is important to consider what has changed since the inspection report was written.
So in a nutshell, a seller can schedule an inspection with Sodak Elite Home Inspections. I will then inspect the home and give an honest and straight forward report on the conditions evident at the time of the inspection. The seller can then give the report to as many people as they would like to review it prior to making an offer. I will also leave with the seller or seller's agent a supply of business cards to give to prospective buyers, who can then call me if they have questions. In all instances that I have performed a seller's inspection the seller and buyer were both very happy with the bit of simplicity that was added to the transaction.
So if you would like a seller's or buyer's inspection you can find the contact information for Sodak Elite Home Inspections on this website for more information.
Justin Rude
Sodak Elite Home Inspections
It is important to take a few things into consideration when getting a seller's inspection or when looking at a seller's inspection as a buyer. Those things are:
-Is the inspector honest and straight forward when reporting on the condition of the home? You would not want an inspector that is "helping" the agent or seller in portraying an image of the home that is not what is visibly evident. Home inspections should always first and foremost be a report on the conditions evident at the time of the inspection, irregardless of who is involved in the transaction.
-Is the inspector friends or family with the seller or agent? This can be a tough question particularly in smaller, more rural markets where everybody knows everybody else. These smaller markets are great in that as everybody gathers at local sporting events or community activities there is a real sense of togetherness and friendship, but in many cases everybody involved is an acquaintance of each other. In this case the honesty and integrity of the inspector and the knowledge that the inspector is going to report on the conditions evident at the time of the inspection no matter what are what will need to rule the day.
-When was the inspection performed and has anything changed or been altered since then? Remember a home inspection is a snapshot in time, and that time is the moment the inspector viewed the conditions only. Because of this it is important to consider what has changed since the inspection report was written.
So in a nutshell, a seller can schedule an inspection with Sodak Elite Home Inspections. I will then inspect the home and give an honest and straight forward report on the conditions evident at the time of the inspection. The seller can then give the report to as many people as they would like to review it prior to making an offer. I will also leave with the seller or seller's agent a supply of business cards to give to prospective buyers, who can then call me if they have questions. In all instances that I have performed a seller's inspection the seller and buyer were both very happy with the bit of simplicity that was added to the transaction.
So if you would like a seller's or buyer's inspection you can find the contact information for Sodak Elite Home Inspections on this website for more information.
Justin Rude
Sodak Elite Home Inspections
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