One of the Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Make Before Listing Their Home

If you’re thinking about selling your home, especially if you’ve lived in it for five years or longer, there’s one step I strongly recommend considering before the FOR SALE sign ever goes in the yard: Get a home inspection.
After more than 35 years of selling real estate in the Tampa Bay area, I’ve seen plenty of transactions run into serious problems after the buyer’s home inspection. Many times, the seller had absolutely no idea the problems existed.
You may take excellent care of your home. You may keep it clean, maintain the landscaping, service the air conditioner and fix things whenever something breaks. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you know what’s happening in the attic, electrical panel, plumbing system, roof structure or other areas of the home you rarely inspect.

The Buyer’s Home Inspection Can Change the Entire Transaction

Once your Tampa Bay home is under contract, the buyer will typically conduct inspections during the inspection period provided for in the contract. That’s when surprises can appear.  An inspector may discover damaged or improperly repaired trusses, electrical problems, plumbing leaks, roof issues, HVAC concerns, wood rot, moisture intrusion, faulty outlets, deteriorated components or dozens of smaller maintenance items.  Individually, some of these things may not sound serious. But ten small problems can quickly become one very expensive repair request. Now you’re dealing with these issues while your home is under contract, the buyer is emotionally involved, the buyer’s agent is involved and contractual deadlines are ticking.  That is not when I want my sellers discovering problems for the first time.

A Pre-Listing Home Inspection Gives the Seller More Control

A pre-listing home inspection allows you to discover many of these issues before the buyer does.  Instead of receiving an inspection report and suddenly having to react, you have time to review the issues, determine which ones should be addressed, obtain estimates and decide how you want to handle them before putting your home on the market.  For repairs that legally require a licensed contractor or tradesperson, you can hire the appropriate licensed professional. For minor maintenance items that do not require a license, you may have more flexibility in deciding how and by whom they are completed. Most importantly, you’re doing it on your timetable, not while a buyer is waiting for an answer.

Small Repairs Can Become Expensive Once You’re Under Contract

Before your house is listed, you’re in control. You can get multiple estimates. You can schedule repairs conveniently. You can determine which items need professional attention and which are simply routine maintenance.
Once you’re under contract, the situation can be very different. Depending on the contract, negotiated repair terms and type of work involved, repairs may need to be completed by appropriately licensed professionals, documented and sometimes reinspected.  Something that might have been relatively inexpensive to address before listing can suddenly become considerably more expensive. And when contractual deadlines are approaching, you may not have the luxury of shopping around for the best price.

Three Inspectors May Give You Three Different Reports

You could probably hire three different home inspectors and receive three somewhat different inspection reports.  Inspectors notice different things. They describe conditions differently. One inspector may emphasize something another considers relatively minor. But significant issues are much more likely to show up regardless of who performs the inspection.  That’s why I like identifying those problems before the home hits the Tampa real estate market. Fix the obvious issues. Address the important problems. Take care of deferred maintenance. Then, when the buyer conducts their own inspection, they’re inspecting a home that has already been gone through and prepared for sale.

Your Home May Look Great and Still Have Problems

One of the biggest misconceptions among homeowners is: “There’s nothing wrong with my house.” Maybe not that you know of. And that’s exactly the problem. Most homeowners aren’t crawling through their attic looking at roof trusses. They aren’t testing every electrical outlet or examining plumbing connections. They aren’t looking for evidence of moisture in areas they rarely access. A professional home inspector does. If you’ve owned your Tampa Bay home for five, ten, fifteen or twenty years, things can develop slowly without you realizing it. Finding those issues before listing gives you an opportunity to deal with them strategically instead of discovering them in the middle of a transaction.

A Cleaner Inspection Can Strengthen Your Sale

Imagine the difference between these two situations. Your buyer receives a lengthy inspection report containing dozens of items. Suddenly, they begin questioning whether they’re buying the right house. They start adding up repair costs. Their agent starts negotiating. The buyer becomes nervous.  Or the buyer receives an inspection report with relatively few significant concerns because you addressed many of the problems before putting the property on the market.  Which situation would you rather have?  A cleaner inspection doesn’t guarantee that a buyer won’t request repairs or attempt to renegotiate. Every transaction is different. But eliminating known problems before listing can remove potential ammunition from the negotiation.

The Goal Isn’t to Make Your Home Perfect

I’m not suggesting sellers spend thousands of dollars unnecessarily or try to turn a resale home into a brand-new house.  The goal is to know what you’re dealing with.  Knowledge gives you options.  If an inspector discovers something significant before you list, you can repair it, obtain estimates, price the property accordingly or discuss the best strategy with your Realtor.  What I don’t want is for my seller to discover a major problem for the first time when we’re already under contract and everyone is staring at a deadline.

Before You List Your Tampa Bay Home, Know What You’re Selling

Selling a home isn’t just about putting professional photographs online, placing the property in the MLS and waiting for offers. Preparing properly before listing can be just as important as the marketing itself. A pre listing home inspection can help Tampa Bay home sellers identify potential problems, reduce inspection surprises, prepare for buyer negotiations and potentially avoid expensive last-minute repairs.  More importantly, it puts the information in your hands first.  After more than 35 years of selling homes throughout Tampa Bay, I’ve learned that surprises rarely make a real estate transaction easier.  I’d much rather find the problem before we have a buyer than after we have one.If you’re considering selling your Tampa Bay home, don’t start with the FOR SALE sign.  Start with a plan.

Vincent Arcuri
Tampa Bay Realtor Since 1991
Over 35 Years of Real Estate Experience