Dear Rebecca
We live just outside of Fredericton, in Hanwell, and will be putting our home for sale in the spring with the hopes of moving into home in downtown Fredericton. We have lived in our home for 20 years and we realize we should do a few things before we list. Other than the obvious fixing up the curb appeal, cleaning, and painting, we were wondering what might be the most important things we could do to attract buyers and have a smooth sale of our home. We were thinking about a having a professional pre-inspection. I have seen some homes advertised as pre-inspected does this help sell?Sally and Geoff
Dear Sally
A pre-inspection by a professional home inspector will help you see your home in a more objective light and may reveal hidden issues that may be lurking. A pre-inspected home usually indicates to a buyer agent that major issues have been addressed and this alone can make your home more appealing for buyers. If you are “not-so-handy” and have little knowledge of home construction then a pre-inspection may expose problems that you are unaware existed and which might be “deal breakers” when discovered on a buyer’s home inspection. If you originally purchased your home without an inspection then I would say a pre-inspection is a must-do.
If you do have a pre-inspection then it is important that you fix any major issues discovered, have them repaired by a professional, and keep the receipts and warranties. Concerns that come up on inspection can be very scary for a first time homebuyer or the “Not-so-Handy” however, a problem solved can be seen as an upgrade and indicate a home well maintained.
One of the biggest snags to a smooth sale can be the water test, this is probably the most overlooked and one of most important details you can attend to when preparing your rural home for sale. Having your water ready for testing can mean the difference between a smooth sale and no sale at all. Not only is a good water test is critical for the buyer to obtain a mortgage but simply having a poor water test result can scare away a buyer. I recommend you have your water fully tested for bacteria, mineral and trace elements. The RPC laboratory facility that is located in Fredericton has the capability to complete all of these tests within their facility. The fact that your water may taste great is not an indicator of good water! I was representing the buyers in the purchase of a home in Nasonworth, where the sellers told their agent that the water was so good that they bottled it and gave it to their friends. It was an unpleasant surprise to both buyers and sellers (and likely their friends) when that water test came back with an over 200+ reading for coliform bacteria (acceptable level of bacteria according to provincial standards is zero). The sellers were lucky in this case that the buyers understood that this problem was fixable and were willing to accept a remedy. Buyers can and will walk away from a home with a poor water test, they do not have to buy a home if a test results come back positive for bacteria or if tests indicate a higher than acceptable mineral. As a note, if you have a high level of bacteria 50+, shocking your well water will likely be only a temporary fix. If you find that you have high bacteria in your water, have a UV filter installed by a professional. A UV filter kills bacteria as it enters the system and a bacterial water test will be good with a properly installed and maintained UV filter. There are different filters available to remedy mineral and trace element water issues.
When the buyer takes a test of your water and brings through their home inspector, rather than waiting in suspense, you can be prepared and confident with the knowledge of your own full water test, and your own pre-inspection.
Smooth sailing and selling
Rebecca
About Rebecca
Social Profiles