Home Inspection to Increase Home Selling Price

For many, their homes are their most valuable asset. Most homeowners have put substantial amounts of money into customizing their home to not only make it livable, but also compatible with their lifestyle. Unfortunately, in today’s real estate market, home sellers are likely to lose this money when selling their home if the proper actions aren’t taken. Homebuyers will be picky and want to know that they will get everything they pay for, and if a home is not up to specific standards, buyers may offer significantly lower than the asking price.

One way for home sellers to boost their selling price and avoid having to compromise with buyers is to bring in a certified home inspector. A thorough home inspection is a great way for a seller to understand the true condition of their property before they even put it on the market. Without having this done, a seller could be completely caught off guard by a potential buyer who hires a home inspector and finds substantial problems with the property. A buyer will want to know if they are buying a sound investment or a money pit. If they find something wrong with the home, they will have legitimate reason to offer much lower than the asking price. By bringing in a home inspector, the seller can be made aware of problems with the home, have the time to fix them, and even has the chance to increase the home’s value in doing so.

One of the first ways to ensure that a home inspection will boost a home’s selling price is to make sure the inspector is certified and experienced. A seller will want to do a background check on the company he/she hires to do the inspection to make sure the inspector has gone through the proper training and knows what he/she is doing. Not all states require home inspectors to obtain licenses, so it is beneficial to check up on this. A certified home inspector will know exactly what to look for in a home to increase its value.

One of the first things a home inspector will look at is a property’s foundation and exterior features. This will include the roof, the siding, the windows and the gutters. These are large factors in determining the stability of the property — something any homebuyer will want to check out. If an inspector finds something wrong with any of these things before the home is put on the market, it will save the home seller a lot of hassle. If a buyer were to find anything wrong with the roof or foundation, they would likely walk away from a sale or lower their asking price substantially. A newly replaced roof or new windows, as a result of a home inspector’s findings, will raise the asking price of a home.

After inspecting the state of things outside the home, an inspector will go inside and check a number of things that could affect the value of a home. Two of the most important of these are the electrical and plumbing systems. Especially if the house is old, the electric wiring may not be up to state standards (requiring fixing), or plumbing elements might be worn down and need replacing. Any buyer who discovers that these expensive repairs will have to be made following the purchase of the home will be likely to step away or, again, offer lower than the asking price (figuring in the cost of those repairs). Therefore the home seller will want to step in and get these critical operating systems up to snuff before putting the property on the market. Doing so will allow them to ask more for the house, and will make the home more appealing to buyers looking for a stable investment.

Additionally, the home inspector will look for faulty insulation, cracked/crooked floors or worn down heating and cooling systems. As before, a home with any of these issues will unlikely get the asking price. Buyers want to be able to move into a home without having to worry about massive repairs or taking on extensive construction work. So, an inspector will likely suggest repairing any of these issues. In the case of replacing heating/cooling systems or improving insulation, he/she may even suggest that the home seller make these repairs in a “green” manner. Buying energy-efficient machines and making sure all insulation is done properly will mean the new homeowner will have less of an energy bill. And, this day and age, everyone jumps at the opportunity to save a little money. Taking the opportunity to make a home more energy efficient will definitely increase the asking price of a home.

It is important to note that most home inspectors won’t check for issues regarding lead, asbestos, wood-destroying organisms or methane. However, due to the extreme health risks these pose, a potential homebuyer might want to bring in someone else to do so. A home inspector may find indicators of such issues and notify the home seller. While ridding a home of these issues may not increase the value of a home by much, it will give both the buyer and seller peace of mind that the home is safe to live in.

At the end of the inspection, a home inspector will provide the homeowner with a list of issues that he/she suggests they address before putting the home on the market. Checking all the things off the list will ensure that a seller can feel confident that a buyer will be completely satisfied with the state of the home. Homes that are in great shape when they go on the market have the potential to receive multiple offers quickly. If this happens, it is likely bidding wars may take place, even bringing the offering price of a home higher than what the seller was originally asking. And all because the seller was smart enough to bring in a home inspector. Visit Home Inspectors at HomeInspector.com to request a free, no obligation quote for a professional home inspection.