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Should your home inspector be licensed?

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Recently Utah passed a law that does not require home inspectors to be licensed. Apparently just about anyone can inspect what is potentially the largest investment of your life…right? So why would you need to hire a home inspector that’s licensed if the state doesn’t require it?

Lucky for us Florida does require their home inspectors to be licensed, and it’s a good thing. In fact, Divinity Inspection Services carries over 16 certificates. That’s how much we believe certificates are important! When a home inspector inspects a home, they create a report based on their expertise. This report will determine whether you, the buyer, is making a good investment. The report not only helps you to make a decision about buying the house, but it also serves to educate the buyer on the house they want to invest in. That’s a big responsibility.

At Divinity, we take that responsibility very seriously. That’s why we stand by our reports. Each one of our inspectors go through the same vigorous training to ensure a consistent quality in our service. We even keep your inspection report on our records for a year just in case you need it. When you are considering hiring a home inspector, make sure you’re asking all the right questions, including proof of their certification. You can find our right here on our website.

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Don’t be anxious about your home inspection

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For many home buyers, especially first-time home buyers, a home inspection can seem like a threat. A home inspection is a threat to your dream home, your family’s future, your visions, and even your finances. Based on this perspective, it would be impossible for a buyer not to feel anxious about getting a home inspection. However, change this perspective, and a buyer would find there is no need to feel threatened or anxious, but instead excited!

Educate Yourself

If a home inspection has the common misconception of creating “threat level death-con” then educate yourself on what a home inspection will provide. A home inspection shouldn’t be seen as a threat, but rather an opportunity to learn about your home in more detail. Many times a home inspection will save the buyer from unforeseen future expenses, educate the buyers on how to maintain their home, and inform the buyer of any immediate concerns. These are all good things!

Stop freaking out

Low-grade anxiousness is a good thing; it means you are serious about the house you’re feeling anxious about. There is nothing wrong with a little nervousness when making such a big financial and emotional decision. That being said, high-level anxiety can cause problems for any normally-calm home buyer – igniting fight or flight instincts, creating panic, or freezing up completely. These reactions pose a much bigger threat to the decision-making process.

You’re the boss

Many buyers feel like they are at the mercy of the seller, the real estate agent, the mortgage lender, etc. But the truth is that is an illusion, the buyer is 100% in control. The buyer may not have control over every step of the home buying process but they have control in every step. There are many steps a buyer can take to control this process and at the end of the day it’s the buyers’ decision as to what home they choose to buy.

At Divinity Inspection Service we do everything we can to make the home inspection process easy. We take the time to walk you through every detail of your home, our report, and educate the buyer as much as we can. Call now to schedule your home inspection!

How to save with a Pre-listing home inspection

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A pre-listing home inspection is a home inspection paid for by the seller which provides the seller with a detailed report of the condition of the home. A pre-listing inspection is not much different than any other home inspection. The biggest difference is the inspection is performed before the house is listed on the market. The goal is to educate the seller on any concerns or issues with the home that might be found during the inspection. The seller will make the decision as to whether they want to address any issues or not, they are under no obligation to do so. The biggest benefit to a pre-listing inspection is the seller will know exactly what to expect when a buyer has a home inspection done and the seller will know about any issues about the home ahead of time and have an opportunity to address those issues which would increase the home’s value.

While a home inspection is mostly used as a negotiation tool for buyers, a home inspection can also be used as a tool to increase the home’s value for a seller. A pre-listing inspection gives control back to the seller. By identifying issues and addressing them, the seller could save money by hiring someone or fixing the issue themselves, whether it’s a fix or a replace, rather than pay for a buyer’s licensed contractor. If a seller has items repaired or replaced ahead of time and it does not come up with the buyer, then it’s not an issue.

Being up front about the condition of a home is a great negotiating tool for a seller. Buyers will appreciate the effort and honesty, they will feel more confident in the home they are purchasing, and a pre-listing report can erase the anxiousness a buyer feels when they are getting a home inspection. The benefits clearly outweigh the cost. If you’re interested in a pre-listing home inspection to help you determine the value of your home or supply you with a detailed report on the condition of your home, please contact Divinity Inspection Services.

 

 

Prepare for a home inspection

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Sellers you are not completely at the mercy of a home inspector, and you shouldn’t let yourself be. Getting anxious about having your home inspected? Don’t be. There are a few things you as a seller can do to prepare the home for a home inspection which can make the experience that much better.

Home Inspection Tips

It’s not about the cleaning
A messy house does not determine the state of the home’s condition. It’s not about the cleaning but about making everything easy to find and easily accessible. Inspectors are required to inspect every space of the house. This includes the attic, underneath the home, etc. Making these spaces easily accessible will go a long way. When inspectors cannot gain easy access to important components of the house buyers might feel nervous it is an indication that the seller is trying to hide something. That being said, the home inspector will need to test all the appliances so make sure you take your dirty laundry out of the washer and dryer.

Take a look at small spaces

Have you ever looked in your crawl space? Probably not, especially if you have no need for that space. A home inspector will look in that space so you may want to take a glance to make sure the home inspector can access the crawl space and to make sure there is nothing in that space that might stop the inspector from doing a proper inspection. This includes access to the heating systems and garage.

Outside the house

Some of the best steps a seller can take before a home inspection is to take a look outside the house.

  • Clean out dirty gutters or remove debris from the roof
  • Trim trees, roots, and brushes back
  • Ensure that all doors and windows are in proper operating condition
  • Replace any blown lightbulbs

These small steps are easy to do but will also make a big difference for a home inspection

It’s not the time to get cheap

If you, the seller, notices something in the home that needs to be repaired then repair it before the home inspection. However, make sure to repair it properly or hire a professional if needed. Sometimes a botched repair can cause more issues than identifying the problem in the home inspection instead. Definitely don’t try to conceal any defects because when the home inspector finds it, and they will, you’ve now made the buyers very nervous.

 

At Divinity Inspection Service we’re not just careful about the things in your home, we take great care to inspect your house without creating any messes. We take the extra time to make sure both the buyer and seller feel comfortable.