What do we inspect?
You need to know what inspectors hired by potential buyers will find when they inspect your home.
This information is helpful in several ways. A pre-sale inspection will eliminate last minute surprises which can cause the deal to fall apart. By accurately disclosing the properties condition to potential buyers you will more likely receive realistic offers and the deal will close with fewer problems. Properties with fewer unanswered questions will often sell faster. Surprises which arise after the buyer makes an offer often leads to delays and price re-negotiation.
Almost all homes have minor problems which buyers will want the sellers to correct prior to the close of possession. When you know those deficiencies in advance you can get repair estimates from contractors and provide that information to the buyers. You may wish to have some of the items repaired prior to listing the property for sale. A deficiencies disclosure which is accompanied by a cost to correct provided by a reputable contractor can defuse a problem before it occurs. The unknown possible cost , always appears more threatening and risky than a known expense.
The buyers may still wish to retain their own inspector to examine your property. We prefer to meet the buyers and explain our report to them personally. A written report alone may appear much more negative than a report which is demonstrated personally by the inspector. We have a special offer for anyone to whom you provide a copy of our inspection report. We will return to the property and describe our findings personally for 50% of the original report fee. This additional fee is usually paid by the buyers. We have found that buyers are more likely to feel confident about the information in our report once they have met the inspector, toured the property and have had the opportunity to ask their own questions.
Full disclosure is always the best policy for all parties involved in a real estate transaction.
Its to your advantage to obtain a high quality written inspection report on your property. An inspection provided by an inexperienced inspector can produce expensive problems for both you and your buyer. Your inspector should be certified by the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors (CAHPI).