Pre-Listing Home Inspections Save Headaches and Money

Consider a Pre-Listing Home Inspection
I usually advise all my customers who are listing their home for sale to have a pre-listing home inspection. It costs $300-500.00 depending on the age, size, and amenities of the home, and is well worth the expenditure when you consider the following:

*If you were buying this home, wouldn’t you want to know that the current owner had felt confidant enough in it to have the home inspection done, and then make it available to you before the sale? Sure, the buyer is going to have his/her own home inspector do the inspection also, but it gives a sense of certainty to the buyer that can help them make the decision to buy, if they already know you have taken good care of it. They never get to the stage of having a home inspection if they don’t make an offer that you can accept.
*If the pre-listing inspection finds something serious enough to warrant repair, then it’s a good idea to find it prior to the buyer bringing in their own inspector. Once their inspector finds something wrong, they start to question whether they should buy it at all. I have seen buyers walk away from a deal because of even small things their inspector finds wrong.
*As your realtor, I’d like to know if there is anything wrong with the home before I start marketing it. I feel much more comfortable telling prospective buyers that it’s in tip top shape if it really is in tip top shape.
*So you get a contract on your house, and the buyer brings in his/her own inspector. Some inspectors are so nitpicky that your buyer comes up with a huge list of repairs they want you to make before they’ll go through with the sale. Wouldn’t you want to know from your inspector, which items are important to have tended to, and which are not? And if the list of repairs is small, often the buyer will accept the house as is, instead of asking you to repair everything. You deal from strength in having knowledge of your home’s great and not-so-great features.
*A home which is in tip top shape, can bring a higher price than one which has problems.

Home inspectors in AZ have to pass a rigorous testing process before they are allowed to perform inspections. They have to have errors and omissions insurance, and proof they have conducted inspections in the company of a certified inspector. Do yourself a favor, and order up that pre-listing inspection and save yourself and your realtor possible headaches later.

Home Staging Works to Sell Your House

Home Staging-- Great Idea for Selling Your Home
There is a trend in selling homes, called "Home Staging." What this involves is getting your home ready for prospective buyers by "setting the stage" for viewing. Mary Maxie is an Accredited Home Stager, and will helpyou get your home ready for buyers.

Home stagers may or may not be interior designers or interior RE-designers. They may or may not bring in their own furniture, artwork and accessories, depending on what's needed in the home. They will re-position furniture, art and accessories, get rid of clutter, arrange everything to maximize the look of spaciousness and light, so that your house looks so good, you may not want to leave!

Home stagers will tell you to remove anything precious, so it won't be damaged by prospective buyers. They will advise you to remove all family photos. The theory is that if the buyer sees your family in the spaces, he or she won't be able to visualize their own family in the spaces. They will likely tell you to remove about 25-30% of all furniture in your home, to create the feeling of lots of space in the home. They will tell you how to ready the home for visitors when the realtor calls to say they are on their way. For instance, ensuring all lights are on, cooking odors are absent, etc.

Your home stager is likely your realtor. And it certainly will be if you call me to list your home. I have experience in interior design of model homes, and staging of re-sale homes as well. I will give you a room by room list of the changes needed before the home is listed on MLS. I will tell you if you need paint, cleaning, or any kind of improvement which will help your home sell faster.

I also recommend a pre-listing home inspection. This will pinpoint any problems that a buyer's home inspector may find, and allow you to make corrections before the deal goes sideways. It also shows prospects that you have confidence in the quality and condition of your home, so they may have the same confidence as a buyer.

Often, as realtors look at comparable listings in an area, there is very little difference in the homes they show their clients. You need to have an edge over the competing homes for sale, and get the buyer to choose your home. That's where the home stager, and I, as your realtor, come in. If you want more information on home staging, talk to me first about listing your home, when you are ready.