Copyright 2017 James MacNaughton DBA  AnnRuel Home Inspections 19 West Street Fairfield, Maine 04351 (207) 861-1227
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PRE-listing Inspection
Why Should I as a home seller have a Home Inspection

I am often asked this question by people who have listed their home for sale or are about to, and here are several reasons.

1. When We do a home inspection we usually find issues that the seller was not aware of. Recently I did one where there was a leak in a wall behind the washer and created a mold issue. because both the seller and the buyer wanted a quick closing the seller agreed to drop an additional $10,000 off the price. If the Seller had been aware of the issue in advance he could have had the issue corrected for about $1,500 SAVING $8,500 ! This is very common and sadly the seller usually has already reduced the price when he accepted the buyers offer so this is in addition to already dropping the price.

2. When a seller finds an issue from the home report, it does not mean that the seller has to pay to fix the issue but the seller can point it out to the perspective buyer and since the seller had time to shop around and find the cheapest price to get it corrected, he can add the quote to the home report and offer to pay half of the cost. Again recently I did an Inspection for a seller who found that the electrical and plumbing  needed to be replaced  and some heating issues corrected. A perspective buyer looking at the house saw this and offered $25,000 less because he needed to rewire the house and this is what the bank demanded. The informed seller had already contacted several  contractors and had a quote from one for $9,500 and the informed seller offered to knock off $4,750 off the price to meet the buyer half way. The deal went thru and the Seller saved $20,250 !


3. Another home inspection I did where the seller loved the house and wanted a quick closing so they could get their kids enrolled in school , almost didn't happen because of the tight time frame the buyers needed and the bank as many do demanded a Home Inspection to be done. Lucky for this Buyer the seller had a home Inspection already done and the bank was happy to receive it and the closing moved ahead several weeks earlier then expected.

4. Yet another home inspection found issues like missing outlet covers, ripped screens, Chimney needed cleaning, Hot water heater was missing a drip pan, Electrical wires in the basement not secured, a double tapped circuit breaker, several  reverse polarity outlets, GFCI outlets missing in the bathroom, insulation blocking attic vents, several windows painted shut, smoke detector batteries were dead, sump pump cover missing, decking brackets missing and  Dryer vent hose ripped. Because of these issues the seller walked away even after the seller offered to reduce the house by $20,000! Sadly the sale was lost and all of these things could be easily fixed in one day for between $500 to  $700

5. Most Lenders require a Buyer to have a home inspection by a certified Home Inspector ( over half of the Inspectors in Maine are not certified) AnnRuel Home Inspections is a certified Home Inspection Company with more than 25 certifications in different areas of
home inspections. As a seller an Investment of between $300 to $800 for a home inspection will save you Time, Money and possibly be the difference  between selling your home or not.

Confucius says "A wise person seeks out to avoid a problem which will always cost less than fixing it after the fact."
WHAT IS THE DESCRIPTION OF A HOME INSPECTION

A home inspection is a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home. Home inspections should only be conducted by a home inspector who has the internachi training and certifications to perform such inspections. The inspector prepares and delivers to the client a written report of findings. The client then uses the knowledge gained to make informed decisions about their pending real estate purchase. The home inspector describes the condition of the home at the time of inspection but does not guarantee future condition, efficiency, or life expectancy of systems or components. A home inspector is not expected to turn on water, electrical or heating: He is to verify that they are in working order or not at time of inspection. The inspector shall NOT lift carpeting, make holes in the ceilings, walls or floors. A Home inspection is Not a Mold Inspection or Air quality Inspection , If you are looking for a Mold or Air quality Inspection  please see information on the Air Quality Page.
If the Electricity, Water or Heat is not on when we arrive, we cannot inspect it. Anything unplugged or disconnected we can not connect or plug it in. There is usually a reason something is un-plugged and it may not be predent to just go plugging it back in
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Jim@annruelhomeinspections.com