If you’re hoping to sell your Sarasota home, you already have an advantage. You live along a beautiful stretch of Gulf coastline between Fort Myers and Tampa Bay that many are attracted to for vacations. Many relocating families are indeed excited to be moving into the Sarasota, FL area.
Of course, you will still be competing with many others that are selling their homes that feature this same advantage. One way to gain an advantage is to consider a seller’s inspection. Most homeowners typically think of an inspection as something that a buyer requests after the offer to purchase is accepted. However, advantages do accrue to sellers who enlist the services of a professional home inspector at the beginning of the process. There are several reasons to enlist the services of a professional home inspector to carefully look at your home systems and its structure before putting it on the market:
1. Avoid Ill-timed News
Let’s say you that you accept a buyer’s offer only to have their inspector uncover a significant problem with your home. Now you, the seller, are on the defensive. Of course, in a worst-case scenario, the buyer walks and the deal falls apart.
However, even when a buyer remains interested, it’s difficult for that buyer to resist the temptation to use a defect as leverage to drive the price down. It’s not uncommon for buyers to ask for a price reduction equal to double or triple what will eventually become the actual cost of repair. This type of aggressive conduct on the part of the buyer can often lead to a ruined deal.
2. Peace-of-mind becomes a Selling Point
Of course, there’s a potential scenario that’s much brighter. Let’s say that the seller’s inspection comes back relatively clean. This can really work in your favor. In this part of the country, where mold and other products of a humid environment are not uncommon, a home inspection conducted by the seller can be that much more advantageous.
Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Won’t a buyer feel more comfortable making an offer on a home already that has already received a relatively clean inspection? Sure, the buyer may still request their own inspection, but it is reasonable to assume that a buyer will be more likely to make an offer on your home than on one where questions may remain. Buyers have plenty of legitimate reasons to stress as they consider home purchase. Some buyers may actually be eager to jump at an opportunity to make an offer on a home that has just recently receive a relatively clean home inspection.
3. Provide Yourself with Time to do Repairs (if necessary)
If a home inspection does turn up something that you and your agent agree should be repaired, it’s far easier to take your time and shop around for the best price on that repair before your home hits the market. If a number of issues surface, you’ll have time to assess specifically where you want to invest in repairs.
4. Price your Home with Confidence
A relatively clean report can certainly increase your confidence in the asking price that you set. Just as it is less stressful for the buyer to make an offer on a home with a recently completed inspection, it is also less stressful for a seller to get into the home selling process without having to worry about some significant problem that the buyer’s home inspector might uncover.
Selling Your Home in Sarasota, FL
When you the consider the cost of a home inspection relative to the value of the property, it’s somewhat surprising that more sellers don’t use this valuable tool as they begin to market a very valuable asset. Give serious consideration to a seller’s inspection. It may ultimately translate into thousands of dollars in gain.
To learn more about the home selling process in Sarasota, contact us or read our free home seller’s eBook:
