Toronto realtors and home buyers have become savvy at sales knowing that in order to get top dollar for their listing staging the property is very important. Once the excitement of an accepted offer has abated slightly and the more nitty-gritty elements of a home sale need to be tackled, such as a home inspection, people tend to not be as diligent in their preparations.
Reason for a home inspection
The home inspection is a crucial step in any realty purchase and will determine whether the buyer is justified in paying big bucks for your place or whether you will have to make some price concessions or whether you will need to do some maintenance before the home is ready for sale. Most of the time sellers agree to credit a portion of the cost from the sale of the house instead of doing the repairs raised by the inspector.
What are inspectors looking for?
The main areas that inspectors want to ensure are solid in any property are the major ones:
– Structure/foundation
– Wiring/electrical
– Plumbing
– Drainage/water damage
– Roofs
– Mold
– Pests
– Toxins (asbestos, Radon, lead)
Preparing for the inspection
In order to facilitate the inspection of your property below are a few tips to follow:
– Make sure all light bulbs are working
– Clear out any closets with access to the attic
– Label your electrical panel
– Clear paths to anything the inspector will want to check such as gas tanks, hot water heaters, etc…
– Keep basement walls clear
– Turn all the utilities on
– Don’t conceal any issue with your home!
Pre-listing inspections
Some motivated sellers are even willing to pay for a home inspection pre-listing to know what shape their house is in and what they could potentially face after a sale and can choose to address the issue beforehand. An advance home inspection does make a realtor’s job much easier and make pricing a home more accurate. However, this does mean paying for the inspection yourself and you will face a second inspection once an offer has been accepted.
Whatever route you decide to take as a seller, just be sure to prepare for the inspection so that the inspector has an easier time of navigating your home.
