Selman Home Inspection Company Blog On ActiveRain: November 2011

Seller Home Inspections Offer Tremendous Marketing Advantages

A Seller Home Inspection or "Move In Certified" inspection is the new trend in marketing advantages for sellers and professional real estate agents. A "Move In Certified" Seller Home Inspection will virtually eliminate all the hassles and blown deals caused by traditional buyer inspections. Home Inspection for sellers gives the leverage back to the homeowner (and their Realtor) and offers tremendous marketing advantages. 

Real estate sales deals fall through simply because the seller did not get a professional Home Inspection to evaluate the condition of their house before putting it on the market. Eventually, potential buyers are going to hire an inspector to find Defects (Common Defects). The selling homeowner may as well know what an inspector is going to reveal and correct any possible issues in advance. The advantages of a "Move In Certified" North Texas Home Inspection are numerous. Consider the following:

• Marketing advantage, including listing and yard signs as "Move In Certified".
• Online listing advantage that makes a sellers property stand out from thousands of others.
• See the sellers real estate through the eyes of a critical third-party.
• Seller home inspections assist in realistic pricing.
• Make repairs ahead of time so that defects won't become negotiating stumbling blocks later.
• Encourage the buyer to waive contingencies, even another home inspection.
• Relieve buyer concerns and suspicions.
• Reduces the Realtor and home owner liability by adding professional supporting documentation to your disclosure statement.
• The report can help the seller substantiate a higher asking price if problems don't exist or have been corrected.
• Alerts you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.
• Sellers can use the report to communicate to contractors the nature of the defect(s), to obtain estimates for repair or to arrange for repairs or replacements.
• A seller inspection lightens negotiations and 11th-hour renegotiations.
• A seller inspection is the ultimate gesture in forthrightness on the part of the seller.
• Real estate agents who recommend seller home inspections are regarded as true professionals leaving nothing to chance.

In today's economy, buyers have more homes to choose from than ever before making it a "buyer's market". Why should they stop and look at your house? What is different about your house and online listing from so many others? To catch buyers and Realtors attention, you need to make your house stand out from the rest. A Seller Home Inspection eliminates some natural fears of the buyer right away by letting them know that this home in generally good shape or better. When buyers look online for homes, they can pass over your listing fast. Just because you may think your house is in good shape does not separate it from the 1000's of others that you may be competing with for the buyers attention. A Seller Home Inspection can give you the marketing edge you need to sell your home for more, faster.

Annual Home Maintenance Home Inspections - Protect Your Investment

Many Professional Home Inspectors offer annual home maintenance inspections also known as a home checkup inspections. Keeping your home in good condition is a smart thing to do and provides marketing advantages when you are ready to sell. An experienced home inspector will review your property each year to provide a complete home maintenance inspection report that will identify Common Defects major concerns, safety concerns, repair needs and items which should be monitored over time.

Home maintenance inspections are like a standard home inspection but are designed for those home owners who are not involved in a real estate transaction. If you are interested in preserving your home in great condition and prefer professional help, a home maintenance inspection is the right choice for you.

A home maintenance inspection is ideal for those who wish to maintain their home in optimum condition. Maintaining your home is a wise investment and will improve your energy savings as well as keep your family safe.

The purpose of an annual home maintenance inspection is to preserve the home in optimum condition, to be informed of repair needs and to avoid future problems. Our Professional Home Inspector is educated and trained to identify changes and upgrade in building standards and inspects every property using the Texas Standards of Practice and local building codes. As building codes and standards change, our reports will help you maintain your real estate and make improvements to stay up to date.

Home Inspection - Upon Taking Ownership Of A Home

After taking possession of a home, there are some maintenance and safety issues that should be addressed immediately.  Selman Home Inspection always recommends hiring certified, licensed professionals to perform tasks which homeowners are not qualified or equipped to perform. The following checklist should help you undertake these improvements:

1. Change the locks on all exterior entrances, for improved security.
2. Check that all windows and doors are secure.  Improve window hardware as necessary.  
3. Security rods can be added to sliding windows and doors.  Consideration could also be given to a security system.
4. Install smoke detectors on each level of the home.  Ensure that there is a smoke detector in every sleeping area and adjacent hallway.  Replace batteries on any existing smoke detectors and test them.  
5. Create a plan of action in the event of a fire in your home.  Ensure that there is an operable window or door in every room of the house.  Consult with your local fire department regarding fire safety issues and what to do in the event of fire.
6. Examine driveways and walkways for trip hazards and undertake repairs where necessary.
7. Examine the interior of the home for trip hazards.  Damaged carpeting and flooring should be repaired.
8. Undertake improvements to all stairways, decks, porches and landings where there is a risk of falling or stumbling.
9. Install rain caps and vermin screens on all chimney flues, as necessary.
10. Investigate the location of the main shut-offs for the plumbing, heating and electrical systems.  If you attended the home inspection, these items would have been pointed out to you.
11. Review your home inspection report for any items that require immediate improvement or further investigation.  

Home Inspection - A Systematic Guide To Preventive Maintenance

A systematic guide to home maintenance allows one to monitor certain conditions and components of their home. Regular roof inspections, for example, will give you enough advance warning to allow for several roofing quotes in order to make an educated and cost effective purchase of a new roof covering. If on the other hand, no maintenance is done, and the roof suddenly leaks, there is very little time to do comparative shopping. Under these circumstances, one is forced to go with the roofer who can do the job the fastest - not necessarily with the roofing materials of your choice or at the best possible price.

In addition to monitoring systems in your home which wear out, structural monitoring can also be performed. It is not uncommon for people who have been living in a house for some time to suddenly realize that a door frame is out of square and the door does not close properly. With regular maintenance, the cracks which occur in the wall surfaces adjacent to the door frame can be monitored. Knowing whether these cracks have appeared suddenly or have been increasing at a specific rate, is valuable information when diagnosing the problem and designing a repair.

Regular home maintenance is not everybody's cup of tea. Hiring a Professional Home Inspector to perform annual home maintenance inspections and certified, licensed specialists to perform repairs is a prudent decision. Ideally, preventative maintenance inspections should be performed semi-annually in the spring and fall. However, some components require more or less frequent inspections. Records of any work performed should be maintained.