COVID-19 has made us all acutely aware of our surroundings and risk factors as we do our part to help stop the spread of this virus. But, during this time and into the future, many people are still buying and selling properties. Using a pre-inspection not only protects sellers from the anxiety of having multiple people walk through their properties, but also sets buyers’ minds at ease that they won’t miss anything important about a home they’d like to purchase.

Pre-inspections aren’t new by any means. But what is new is the way we’ve adapted them to meet the evolving needs of buyers, sellers and their respective real estate agents – even in pandemic times. They’ve never been a better tool than now to offer sellers peace of mind when it comes to sanitation and keeping their families safe, while also providing buyers with full transparency and protection.

In the midst of emergency measures revolving around coronavirus as well as after precautions begin to lift and the housing market starts to gain speed, people always want to know they’re safe. That’s why a pre-inspection is a fabulous tool to offer both sellers and buyers reassurance throughout the buying and selling processes.

Here’s how the pre-inspection process works now:

• Home inspector coordinates with seller and seller’s agent, ensuring property is ready for inspection, homeowners have left, and it’s sanitized before and after inspection to protect homeowners and inspector
• Pre-inspection digital report prepared chock full of photos and video
• Full report provided to seller and selling agent
• Inspector encourages full report be shared with prospective buyers (helps with transparency and minimizing conditions)
• Inspector provides marketing collateral and lawn sign advertising property has been pre-inspected
• Inspector offers buyer discounted price to return at flexible time – during offer period if seller is comfortable or even after possession – to complete full walkthrough of property, further educating buyer using technology and re-registering report in buyer’s name, removing fear of bias that may come with traditional pre-inspections
• Also includes transfer of errors and omissions insurance, and added inspection warranty – for 90 days after inspection or 21 days after possession – covering surprises such as dripping sink or mould that wasn’t present at inspection 

Having a pre-inspection completed by your home inspector prior to listing that highlights the sound investment buyers can expect upon purchasing your property can prove beneficial – and help set your property apart from others already for sale in your neighbourhood.

You’ll have a list prepared detailing any work that may need to be done in the future that can empower you to make some changes yourself prior to listing and/or equip you with the required information to show potential buyers that only minor repairs/upgrades are suggested by a trained professional down the road. This helps take the guesswork out of the homebuying process for many buyers by boosting confidence in your property.

A pre-inspection alerts you upfront of potential issues that are likely to pop up in the future – possibly even in the midst of a buyer offer – that you can either fix ahead of time or work with your REALTOR to accommodate in your sales pricing strategy. A buyer is likely to discover issues with your home, so being forthcoming may mean one less condition on the offer as well as providing a higher level of confidence and transparency for your home sale.

Find an Inspector near you: https://abuyerschoice.com/locations