Whether you’re considering listing your home for sale or buying a home, it’s crucial to know about pre-sale inspections and the advantages of getting one.
Sellers
For sellers, you may know about the little quirks that need some fixing or repair around your house. However, there may also be some hidden issues that need to be addressed before you list your home.
Buyers may feel that minor defects in a house also mean there are major defects like structural damage, which will make selling your home to them less possible. Pre-sale building and pest inspections help you gain and maintain control of the sale of your home, help to get the most money possible for your home, and prevent surprising issues with major or minor repair issues.
A pre-sale inspection could uncover defects and issues you never knew existed in your home, even if you have lived in it for years. Once you know what’s there, you can fix it or at least feel confident you have been completely transparent about the state of your home.
Pre-sales property inspections take an in-depth look into your property from the roof to the foundation and everywhere in between to either make sure the home is structurally sound, or to find those pesky, hidden problems that may be there. These inspections also check for pest problems, which is an important aspect of getting your home sold.
Buyers
If you’re thinking of buying a home, you must take several factors into consideration before signing anything. Given today’s high cost of property, a wise thing to do is look at houses for sale that have pre-sale inspections on them.
Pre-sale inspections provide a report of the status of a house, including any structural damage, pest problems, and major or minor defects. It gives you a heads up on what you may be in for when making repairs that the owner may not make on the property.
Skipping out on the pre-sale inspection as part of the home buying process could turn into a costly and frustration transaction.
Advantages
It doesn’t matter which side of the home buying or selling process you’re on when it comes to pre-sale building and pest inspections. There are advantages for all parties.
Seller Advantages
- Pre-sale home inspections make you aware of what issues are present, allowing you to determine what you can reasonably invest in that will boost the value of your property before listing it.
- You will have time to consider what to repair and what to leave for the buyer(s) that won’t discourage them from buying. Taking the time to find the highest quality and least expensive home repair contractors will help improve your end results.
- A pre-sale inspection report is a smart selling strategy. It gives buyers peace of mind in deciding if they want to make an offer on your house or not. Since these reports are unbiased, third-party reports, they inspire confidence in the buyer.
- The seller has more control over the sale of the property since building reports give you the edge in this transaction.
Buyer Advantages
- In a case where the seller has a pre-sale inspection report, the buyer may gain some leverage in the negotiations of the property sale. Some defects do count against a property’s value.
- Knowing what you’re getting into with a house before you buy it allows you to prepare for cost-efficient repair contractors and/or pest removal or extermination. You can ask the professionals about these fixes before signing any papers.
- Pre-sale inspection reports help you avoid buying a money pit that will deplete your bank account in home repairs.
What do pre-sale property and pest inspections uncover?
- Foundation issues like dampness, cracking, or structural issues
- Water leaks and damage that can compromise walls, roofing, flooring and other structural aspects of a house
- Antiquated wiring that may be unable to support the higher power demands of modern appliances
- Pest problems like termites that can cause major damage and other undesirable pests
Property inspections include the following:
- Age of the structure
- A summary of the property’s condition
- A list of issues and their identification
- Any important photographs
- Repair recommendations
- A list of problem areas that were not inspected and why
Essentially, anything that would cost the seller or buyer excess money to repair or remedy is found in pre-sale inspection and pest reports.
If you require a building & pest inspection or swimming pool certification, please call our friendly team on 1300 883 806