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When To Schedule A Walk Through And When To Skip It

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Every home buyer encounters love at first sight when they are on the hunt to purchase a home. At least once you will find yourself drooling over pictures of what could be your future house. However, pictures can most certainly be misleading and your time is precious. So before you jump on the phone to schedule a walk through with your realtor, take a second look at those picture. Here are some specific home defects you can look for.

Spacing can be a giveaway

The most popular pictures for selling a home is using a wide scope. This has become a trend in the last few years. And while a wide scope can help give you the full picture of a room, it can also really misshape the space of the room. The house could seem much bigger than it actually is. This is when you encounter disappointment after taking the time to schedule a walk through.

Before you put the house on your calendar take another look through the photos. One way to check the spacing is by looking at items and the distance from one to another. For example, if you are looking at a wide scope picture of a kitchen then you can look at the distance between the appliances. Even in a wide scope photo this should be a pretty good giveaway of the actual space.

Look at the walls and ceilings

In most photos you will have walls in the backgrounds. Sometimes the photos will include the ceilings. Here you can check for any major cracks, discoloration or stains. I wouldn’t make any assumptions based on what you see, but if you do spot a major concern then it could be a dead giveaway.

In many cases, new paint will cover any discoloration that would elude to water damage or mold. You don’t need to worry because if there is any, we’ll find it in the home inspection.

Landscaping can also give you clues

You may be surprised at what you can find in the pictures around the home. Many people overlook clear signs of standing water, flooding or other damage. For example, you may see on the outside of the house a line of debris. This is usually an indication of high water. The house could have problems with drainage.

Also take a look at Google’s satellite image of the neighborhood. Do the neighbors take care of their lawns and homes? This is minor but could be an indication of the kind of neighborhood the house is situated in.

Don’t let pictures deceive you. These homes waste your time and energy when there are many homes you could fall in love with. However, don’t be afraid of any undiscovered concerns. By hiring the right home inspector, you have nothing to worry about.

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Have a plan before you sell your home

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Who says you need a plan to sell your home? The market is hot, people are buying and selling all over Tampa Bay! So you can just stick a “for sale’ sign in your front yard and that’s it, right? Not exactly. Especially if you plan to sell your home yourself and without an agent – you’re going to need a plan. Because the reality is, if sticking a sign in your front lawn was enough then realtors wouldn’t exist.

Create a Marketing Plan

Why do you need a plan, specifically a marketing plan, to sell your home? It’s not about just throwing any price on your house, it’s about selling it for all it’s worth. A plan is the source of getting top dollar for the least amount of hassle and within a reasonable time frame.

Exposure is Key

Sure you can throw your house up on Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, etc. You can also host your own open house. But how will you get people to attend your open house? Who will manage the listings or inquiries made on your home from all of those online platforms?

More is More

The more buyers you can attract, the more competition among buyers, the higher the price. The more expansive the exposure of your home, the more buyers you can attract. The goal is generate multiple offers. This is what will sell your home for top dollar. Even if you don’t get multiple offers, more exposure means increasing your changes of selling your home within a reasonable time frame. Every home owner that wants to sell their home has the same goal: to sell for top dollar, in a reasonable time frame, for the least amount of hassle.

Statistics show that listing your home a real estate professional will produce more money in your pocket at the end of the sale than by selling your home on your own. Even so, there are a few things you can do to ensure you are working your way toward that top dollar. Getting a pre-listing home inspection, for example, is an excellent way to sell your home. Call us now to get more information or schedule your inspection right here on our website.

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Your home inspection is not JUST a negotiation tool

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Many times a buyer’s offer that has been accepted is contingent on the home inspection. Unfortunately for some buyers, this means being on edge until they receive the report. Of course, if the seller had their own home inspection done before listing the home for sale, called a Pre-Listing Inspection and highly recommended, then the sellers would already know what to expect and would be confident because of their previous report. Otherwise, a home inspection is many times seen as a necessity for closing on a home sale. While the inspection report is used as a negotiation tool most times, it should also be used as an educational tool for the buyers and their new home.

For many buyers, buying a home will be the biggest purchase of their lives. It’s not unreasonable that a buyer wants their “new home” to be “perfect”! Also in the mix are the two realtors, usually one representing the buyer and the other agent representing the seller – both wanting what’s best for their client’s interest. This is a “many cooks in the kitchen stirring the pot” kind of scenario!

A home inspection is a report used to provide additional information about the home. Generally, if there is a major issue with the home, the seller will issue a credit towards the buyer to cover the cost of fixing any major issues; or the buyer can request the seller have the issue fixed before closing on the purchase of the house. Either request is not unreasonable and is often seen in home-purchasing deals. That being said, the home inspection is essential to a home purchase and should be completed before closing on the purchase. The information in a home inspection report could save the buyer a lot of costs down the road, or at the least, make the buyer aware of issues that will need to be addressed immediately. This is where the educational part of a home inspection comes into play. Not only does an inspection notify the buyers of any immediate issues, but more importantly, the inspection report will educate the buyers on upcoming maintenance, issues they could foresee down the road, costs to prepare for, etc.

Either way there are justifiable negotiations before most home closings, and it is the responsibility of both agents to explain this to their clients. For this reason, most negotiations happen before the offer is accepted. Obvious issues in the home will be considered when pricing the home for sale in the beginning so major issues may already be addressed before the home inspection, but that doesn’t mean you should skip this step. Divinity Inspections Service offers our most-qualified inspectors to review the home / property to make sure there are no major “hidden” or underlying issues and that is really the most important knowledge in this kind of investment. When considering the importance of education a buyer receives from a home inspection, they may be less anxious and more excited to learn about their new home.