Top 5 Reasons to Pre-Inspect Your Home for Sale in South Charlotte NC

I’ve seen it happen all too often… my South Charlotte home sellers receive an offer on their home. After an often arduous negotiation process in which the sellers feel that the buyers are trying to “steal” their home, and the buyers are afraid they are paying too much for a home in a declining market, both parties reach agreement on a contract price.  Hooray, they think – we’re gonna close this baby soon!

Then….drum roll…the South Charlotte home for sale inspection takes place, and the home inspector finds 47 items that need correcting – some minor and some major – causing great angst among all parties.  The buyers, seeing the long laundry list of deficiencies, suddenly fear they are buying a money pit.

The South Charlotte NC Home sellers think the inspector was just being overly picky and start getting in defensive mode (“I already gave away the house in the sales price; I’m not spending boat loads to make this house perfect!”).  It’s back to the drawing board.  We negotiate the repairs, the buyers insist that the repairs be made by licensed professionals, and the sellers have maybe 3 weeks to get estimates and get the job done.  All while trying to pack up and plan for a move.  Stressful, indeed!  Don’t put your head in the sand!

Top 5 Reasons to Pre-Inspect Your Home for Sale in South Charlotte

I’ve seen a LOT as a South Charlotte NC real estate expert!  Home inspectors have found the following issues:  termites and termite damage ($2,000 +), structural problems ($5,000 – $16,000), failed septic systems ($5,000), failed roofs ($8,000 – $20,000), electrical and plumbing problems ($300 – $1,000+).  I have seen the anguish that these repairs and canceled purchases have  caused my sellers.

So here’s my top 5 reasons to pre-inspect your home for sale in South Charlotte NC:

1. Uncover Costly Problems Early

Uncover Costly Problems BEFORE your buyers and their agent are watching over your shoulder!  When you find problems in a South Charlotte NC home pre-inspection, you have the luxury of repairing them yourself (if you have the expertise) or hiring someone – on YOUR time – to fix them. You will have time to shop around, get estimates and repair the problem without having the buyers insist that “a licensed general contractor make the repairs.”  For example, you don’t need a GC to replace caulk, but buyers may insist on it!

Discovering potential problems BEFORE buyers see your home can significantly reduce your stress levels later!  And if you’re afraid a pre-inspection will discover an unknown problem, it’s better to know ahead of time because the buyer’s home inspector will likely find the problem anyway!

2. Save Money

If your South Charlotte home pre-inspection only uncovers minor problems like caulking, a loose shingle, missing lightbulb, negative grading, etc. – you can often make these repairs yourself, or hire a handyman.  This will save you a LOT of money in the long run!

3. Improve the Marketability of your South Charlotte NC home for Sale

When my South Charlotte home sellers wisely choose to have a home pre-inspection and make the repairs BEFORE the house goes on the market, I always advertise that the home has been pre-inspected and all repairs have been made.  If asked, I will share the inspection report and repair invoices.  This gives buyers confidence – when choosing between similar homes, they may choose YOUR home because it has been pre-inspected and repaired.

4. Increase Your Negotiating Power

If you order a South Charlotte home pre-inspection before listing your home and make all necessary repairs, you can negotiate your sales price terms with more confidence up front, potentially netting you more money!

5. Close on Time

Often there are only 3 weeks between the buyer’s home inspection and the scheduled closing date, sometimes even less!  This short time frame often prevents the seller from scheduling/completing the agreed-upon repairs, which could postpone closing.  Such postponements can cost home sellers even more money if new arrangements have to be made with the movers/storage.