Move in Certified

A Move in Certified Home Inspection means that the seller has had the home inspected by a Certified, Licensed Home Inspector before the home is listed for sale. A Movie in Certified Inspection, informs you, the seller, of any defects or problems with your home so you can address them before prospective buyers discover them. You can then take the time you need to obtain reasonable repair estimates, and have the repairs done in a timeframe that suits you and your budget. Show prospective buyers that you are dealing in good faith. Avoid 11th hour negotiations and delays, and justify your asking price by having your home pre-inspected and ready for sale.

If you are selling, you can be quite sure that prospective buyers are going to have a home inspection conducted before they agree to purchase your property. Getting a pre-listing inspection of your home offers you some advantages that you may not be aware of. The one major advantage is finding out the condition of your property. Real Estate agents will always advise you of the importance of having your home ready for sale and prepared for the buyer’s home inspection.

A big concern and stressful time for most sellers is that the potential buyer’s home inspector will find issues with your home that may put your sale in jeopardy, or worse, cause the potential buyers to walk away from the deal. What if asbestos is found in your attic, lead paint, mould issues, etc. removal and cleanup of these issues can be expensive. These issues will also be found by the buyer’s inspection and may kill the deal and become disclosure issues for you. Deal with them now while they are still in your control.

Knowing the home’s condition will help you and your realtor set the fair market value. If you do not know or understand the condition of your home, you will be subject to the bargaining process which may result in a much lower price than your original asking price.

Defects discovered by the purchaser’s inspection, which you may be expected to repair, could leave you scrambling to quickly get them completed before the closing date. Repairs that are done quickly or rushed may not meet the prospective buyer’s expectations or inspection. If you have a pre-listing inspection, those repairs could be done on your time schedule and you will have greater control over the costs and contractors pricing. Warrantees may be issued.

The negotiation process is a normal procedure in a real estate transaction. Issues recorded in the potential buyer’s inspection report may be used to lessen or renegotiate the asking price. By having your home pre-inspected, you will be more familiar with your home and unlikely to find out anything new from the potential buyer’s inspection. Negotiations can be reduced to a minimum. Your asking price is validated.

Producing a clean inspection document to the interested buyer to review can instill a positive attitude and confidence in the home offered for sale. Realtors can show the property with confidence knowing the current condition of the home. A more confident and solid offer can be made by a qualified buyer knowing that a professional has inspected the home and I will be available to confirm the inspection report and any repairs or upgrades that have been made.

There is always the possibility of mould, asbestos, radon gas, well water testing, lead paint etc. may be things you wish to have tested, at an additional cost to you. [The flip-side, but they may also be areas that the buyer’s inspector may want to test for as well. Leaving the possibility of an unfavourable sales environment.]

The potential buyer may not choose to trust the seller’s pre-inspection report. The buyer’s inspection may reveal areas of concern that the seller’s pre-inspection report doesn’t. Sometimes this can be the result of a misinformed or unprofessional inspector on either party’s part. It is always wise to screen your inspector very carefully and check all references. This is where the real estate agent who has a complete perspective on what is represented in both reports can be invaluable. Not all things are what they seem, such items must be kept in perspective. [The flip-side, I will be available for a walk-through with the potential buyer, to confirm any repairs or upgrades and verify my report as to its authenticity.] This may negate the need for the buyers’ inspection.

With a pre-listing inspection, any latent defects found may fall under the disclosure laws. Latent defects are defects that may not be discovered through a reasonable inspection of the property. Example, tree roots blocking the sewer line. Although the sewer line may be draining correctly at the time of the inspection, tree root removal may have been done three months ago and may be needed again nine months in the future. This would be a latent defect, which would require these tree roots to be removed on a yearly basis to prevent a sewer backup. This may cause damage to the occupant’s belongings and pose a health risk to the family. There is duty to disclose a history of sewer backup or tree roots causing sewer blockages. If the seller knows of this condition or other such conditions and chooses not to bring this issue of disclosure to the agent or the potential buyer, and the home inspector raises the alarm and produces evidence of past sewer backup conditions, or other conditions that may be latent, they would need to be disclosed to the potential buyer, which may jeopardize the sale, or have them repaired or replaced at the seller’s expense.

The purpose of a home inspection is to document the overall condition of the property, and to ensure that the systems and components (water heater, heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical, etc.,) are installed properly and working as expected. While items identified as a result of the home inspection seem like minor items individually, collectively they could add up to major issues involving both time and money. If sellers become aware of these issues, they can resolve many minor items themselves and hire contractors for larger repairs before a potential buyer’s inspection reveals these issues.

My involvement in a seller’s pre-listing inspection includes my detailed home inspection which will be documented in my standard report. With a clean report, the sellers can instruct me to release the clean inspection report to their realtor as is, (in Digital Format) and be available for immediate viewing by any potential buyer through your realtor. Or you can choose to negotiate any repairs required with your future potential buyer.

Another option open to the seller would be to complete the inspection, put the report on hold, complete any repairs, cleaning, painting etc. that would be deemed beneficial for the sale of your home. Once this maintenance is finished, the seller will have me return to reinspect and update the report to reflect the repairs and maintenance just completed. The updated report can then be made available (in Digital Format) to your realtor to forward to any interested buyers, and it can be used to further complement the realtor’s presentation of your home.

In today’s slower housing market there is a need for some creative thinking, and the pre-inspection Move in Certified program instills buyer confidence. As a participant, you assure your potential buyer that your home is free from any major concerns regarding safety and function and that a professional, independent Alberta Government and InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector has diligently inspected your home and deemed it …“Move in Certified,” a home that has been pre-inspected and Ready for SOLD.

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