Friday, July 18, 2008
DailyRecord.com - Inspect before Selling
Sergio Angione of Towaco NJ, a licensed home inspector with HouseMaster home inspection, checks out the dishwasher during a home inspection.July 17, 2008 Daily Record
Inspect before Selling - - Find out what needs fixing before trying to put your house up for sale
By Ellen S. Wilkowe
Two cracked rafters, the central air conditioning that "worked fine last summer" and the hot water heater approaching its golden years.
Home seller beware. Come closing, these are just some items that can make or break a deal, especially if found during the buyer's inspection, a little too little, a little too late.
With a statewide 9 percent decline in real estate sales -- the most recent statistics available from the National Association of Realtors -- this is all the more reason for sellers to invest in a pre-inspection.
So said Sergio Angione of Towaco NJ, a home inspector with the HouseMaster home inspection franchise.
"It's a buyer's market," said Angione, who is also vice president of the Garden State Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors.
So what exactly constitutes a pre-inspection?
Consider it the prequel to the buyer inspection, a preparatory move on the seller's side to find out the true value of the home before listing it. This also may buy the seller time to fix any problems that surface.
One homeowner's comfort may register as a potential buyer's complaint.
"When you're living in a home you get used to things," Angione said. "For example, a buyer might say, 'Why should we have to press the garage door opener twice to open it?'"
Inspections often reveal something seemingly as trivial as a garage door opener quirk to more pressing issues often undetected by homeowners -- such as cracked rafters in the attic or termite damage.
"Many people don't crawl around their attic," he said.
Depending on the size of the structure, a standard inspection can take from 11/2 to three hours and can cost $300 to $500, Angione said.
The inspector conducts a visual evaluation and provides written documentation on the following:
• Heating system.
• Central air conditioning system (temperature permitting).
• Interior plumbing and electrical systems.
• Roof, attic and visible insulation.
• Walls, ceilings, floors windows and door.
• Foundation, basement and visible structure.
• Built-in major appliances.
The inspector may also recommend and arrange for additional services such as septic and well evaluations, pool or lawn sprinkler inspections, and radon testing
With the buyer in the driver's seat, the concept of pre-inspections is earning endorsements from real estate agents.
In parts of the state saturated with septic tanks and private wells, seller-initiated inspections garnered support of Linda McCullough, a broker with Re/Max Classic Group in West Milford.
"I always recommend it," McCullough said. "New Jersey requires that private wells be tested by a certified lab technician, and you cannot close without the results."
Septics are a big challenge too. If the buyer's inspection finds a failing system, it could take 60 days to four months to redesign or repair.
Real estate agents like McCullough and home inspectors like Angione abide by the philosophy of catching potential pitfalls early rather than lose the buyer later.
Pre-inspections also instill confidence in the seller, McCullough said. "It's really a marketing tool."
For example, HouseMaster can affix a pre-inspected logo to the online listing and post a sign on the lawn and tent cards throughout the home alerting buyers and agents that a pre-inspection report is available.
When it comes down to the wire, the seller can use the pre-inspection report as a bargaining tool much as the buyer does when hiring a home inspector.
Seller-based inspections also earned a nod from another member of The Garden State Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors.
"It's better to work out the deficiencies and address the issues than turn off a buyer," said the group's treasurer, Bret Kaufmann. "Some of these issues homeowners are unaware of and would likely address anyway."
Heating and air conditioning exhaust, mold-causing plumbing problems, and roof leaks are some common problems that often surface as a result of a home inspection, said Kaufmann, founder of Kaufmann Consultants in Madison.
Because of the cost of inspecting homes, Kaufmann said he performs fewer inspections on behalf of the seller than the buyer.
"I don't do many as they tend to be costly especially for say a 3 million dollar home," he said. "For less expensive homes on the market for a year to 18 months, Realtors would recommend them."
Kaufmann said inspecting a four-bedroom, 21/2-bathroom house costs $685, which includes checking for wood-destroying insects, carpenter ants, radon and all "installed" major appliances in the sale such as refrigerator, dishwasher, oven range and vent fans.
Armed with a tape recorder, mini computer and handwritten notes, Kaufmann performs triple-play inspections for homes, townhouses and condos.
Owners of attached units incorrectly assume that exterior common areas are taken care of by the homeowner's association and pass up on sprucing up curb appeal that otherwise may do them in come sale time, he said.
"But they're actually paying for it," Kaufmann said.
Home seller beware. Come closing, these are just some items that can make or break a deal, especially if found during the buyer's inspection, a little too little, a little too late.
With a statewide 9 percent decline in real estate sales -- the most recent statistics available from the National Association of Realtors -- this is all the more reason for sellers to invest in a pre-inspection.
So said Sergio Angione of Towaco NJ, a home inspector with the HouseMaster home inspection franchise.
"It's a buyer's market," said Angione, who is also vice president of the Garden State Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors.
So what exactly constitutes a pre-inspection?
Consider it the prequel to the buyer inspection, a preparatory move on the seller's side to find out the true value of the home before listing it. This also may buy the seller time to fix any problems that surface.
One homeowner's comfort may register as a potential buyer's complaint.
"When you're living in a home you get used to things," Angione said. "For example, a buyer might say, 'Why should we have to press the garage door opener twice to open it?'"
Inspections often reveal something seemingly as trivial as a garage door opener quirk to more pressing issues often undetected by homeowners -- such as cracked rafters in the attic or termite damage.
"Many people don't crawl around their attic," he said.
Depending on the size of the structure, a standard inspection can take from 11/2 to three hours and can cost $300 to $500, Angione said.
The inspector conducts a visual evaluation and provides written documentation on the following:
• Heating system.
• Central air conditioning system (temperature permitting).
• Interior plumbing and electrical systems.
• Roof, attic and visible insulation.
• Walls, ceilings, floors windows and door.
• Foundation, basement and visible structure.
• Built-in major appliances.
The inspector may also recommend and arrange for additional services such as septic and well evaluations, pool or lawn sprinkler inspections, and radon testing
With the buyer in the driver's seat, the concept of pre-inspections is earning endorsements from real estate agents.
In parts of the state saturated with septic tanks and private wells, seller-initiated inspections garnered support of Linda McCullough, a broker with Re/Max Classic Group in West Milford.
"I always recommend it," McCullough said. "New Jersey requires that private wells be tested by a certified lab technician, and you cannot close without the results."
Septics are a big challenge too. If the buyer's inspection finds a failing system, it could take 60 days to four months to redesign or repair.
Real estate agents like McCullough and home inspectors like Angione abide by the philosophy of catching potential pitfalls early rather than lose the buyer later.
Pre-inspections also instill confidence in the seller, McCullough said. "It's really a marketing tool."
For example, HouseMaster can affix a pre-inspected logo to the online listing and post a sign on the lawn and tent cards throughout the home alerting buyers and agents that a pre-inspection report is available.
When it comes down to the wire, the seller can use the pre-inspection report as a bargaining tool much as the buyer does when hiring a home inspector.
Seller-based inspections also earned a nod from another member of The Garden State Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors.
"It's better to work out the deficiencies and address the issues than turn off a buyer," said the group's treasurer, Bret Kaufmann. "Some of these issues homeowners are unaware of and would likely address anyway."
Heating and air conditioning exhaust, mold-causing plumbing problems, and roof leaks are some common problems that often surface as a result of a home inspection, said Kaufmann, founder of Kaufmann Consultants in Madison.
Because of the cost of inspecting homes, Kaufmann said he performs fewer inspections on behalf of the seller than the buyer.
"I don't do many as they tend to be costly especially for say a 3 million dollar home," he said. "For less expensive homes on the market for a year to 18 months, Realtors would recommend them."
Kaufmann said inspecting a four-bedroom, 21/2-bathroom house costs $685, which includes checking for wood-destroying insects, carpenter ants, radon and all "installed" major appliances in the sale such as refrigerator, dishwasher, oven range and vent fans.
Armed with a tape recorder, mini computer and handwritten notes, Kaufmann performs triple-play inspections for homes, townhouses and condos.
Owners of attached units incorrectly assume that exterior common areas are taken care of by the homeowner's association and pass up on sprucing up curb appeal that otherwise may do them in come sale time, he said.
"But they're actually paying for it," Kaufmann said.
Labels: http://locations.housemaster.com/Offices/default.asp?f_id=000292
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