Home Inspections Help Sellers

Home Inspections Help Sellers Present Houses In Their Best Light!

Very few home buyers today would dream of signing papers on a new house without first checking for any hidden problems. Smart home sellers can take advantage of this fact by having a professional home inspector thoroughly examine their house – before putting it up for sale, says the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors (CAHPI).

A professional pre-listing home inspection will disclose any major defects in the home’s physical structure (such as the roof, basement, foundation, walls, and ceilings) or in its electrical, plumbing, heating or cooling systems. Should any serious problems be reported, sellers may then elect to have them repaired before marketing to prospective buyers. The resulting physical and/or aesthetic improvements often greatly increase the home’s sales appeal.

Another option, if the pre-listing inspection turns up major problems, is for the seller to set a more realistic asking price. Very often, people who have lived comfortably for many years in their home grow accustomed to conditions which may prove unacceptable to a potential buyer. An objective third party opinion helps to put a home’s true condition into a more realistic light.

In addition, the inspector’s written report can be a persuasive sales tool, providing sellers with unbiased documentation of all their home’s good features. Buyers may feel more confident in making an offer when they can know right away the present condition of the house, inside and out. To make sure a house is inspected objectively and expertly, home owners should seek an inspector who belongs to a professional association of home inspectors. This is the consumer’s best assurance of competence and professionalism.

The CAHPI is a non-profit self-regulating professional association for independent home inspectors whose members have met demanding technical and professional qualifications, and who promote a strict Code of Ethics to prevent conflict of interest activities. For further information on home inspections, or to obtain the names of qualified home inspectors in your area, visit:http://www.cahpi-alberta.com/

Pre-Purchase Home Inspections: A Buyer’s “Primary Education”

For a growing number of people buying homes today, the pre-purchase home inspection has become an accepted and essential part of the sales transaction. The professional home inspector, who understands the inner workings of residential construction, offers consumers an expert opinion regarding the condition of a home’s major systems and components before the purchase is made.

Yet more and more the home inspection is also being appreciated for its educational value to the home buyer. Many people are moving into their first house, for example, and are inexperienced in the “care and feeding” of a home. Another growing segment of buyers looking for a place to live, is single women. Very often, however, they too are unfamiliar with home maintenance.

Among the first important things to learn, according to CAHPI inspectors, are the locations of the gas and water lines. In the event of an emergency, or if there is remodelling to be done, it is essential to know where these utility lines enter the house and how to shut them off. It is equally critical to know the location of the electric and heat emergency switches.

It is also very important to get a basic understanding of the electrical wiring of the new home, and its capacity. A home inspector can explain the operations of the fuses or circuit breakers, and evaluate whether the existing wiring is adequate to carry the home’s electrical load.

In addition, a private home contains many major components not found in apartments, and which might intimidate the first time home owner. These may include the central air conditioning and/or heating systems, a water heater, attic fans, humidifiers, septic systems, and the like. Even though many people call in professional tradesmen to handle major repairs, some knowledge of these components is necessary for routine maintenance and troubleshooting, and competently discussing repair work with contractors.