Selling is Stressful!
Selling is stressful.
What I have noticed over the nearly 10 years I have been in real estate is the abject terror some sellers have with regard to the dreaded building and pest inspection. It can break a sale in a heartbeat.
No one likes surprises, least of all the seller.
Because sometimes inspectors can make a mountain out of a mole hill. And the back and forth between solicitors over often minor issues can suck the joy out of a sale fairly quickly.
Something so simple as organising a building and pest inspection report before you put the property on the market can go a long way to expediting the sale process, ease the stress of the sale process, and reassure buyers that you have a well maintained property.
One of our recommended inspectors, Brent Vinnicombe of Resicert Property Inspections, says some reports, particularly if they contain lots of flags, can simply overwhelm buyers.
"Something I have noticed in the conduct of inspections is how sellers are unaware of the easy maintenance, or preventative things they can do to ensure any future buyer's building and pest report won't be laden with "high risk" issues that turn a buyer off the property.
Things sellers can do ahead of putting their property on the market include:
- Ensure garden beds are not right up against the house covering the visible inspection line or weep holes
- Prune plants so they sit away from the building and gutters
- Direct air conditioner and water heater overflow pipes into stormwater
- Clear gutters of vegetation
"But probably the most important thing they can do," says Brent, "is obtain a Building & Pest Report themselves, and then address any issues raised."
Sometimes the language in the report itself can be downright scary to buyers, so the fewer real problems or high risk situations flagged in an inspection, the better.