Pre-Offer Inspection Services
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Buying a house is a significant and often life-changing decision.
Many potential buyers are uneasy about making an offer and committing to a large financial decision without a clear understanding of the property that could be their next home. Most buyer’s inspections are done after an offer has been made on the home. However, some buyers want to understand the condition and status of the home before they’re locked in with an offer and a contract.
A pre-offer inspection can help.
We typically recommend that buyer’s get a full home inspection. However, a pre-offer inspection can be a flexible way for buyers to understand the condition of a home before an offer is ever made.
A standard pre-offer inspection is just as detailed and thorough as a buyer’s home inspections, but MKC Associates will allow clients to waive certain parts of the inspection to expedite the process of making an offer.
Some buyers prefer this method because they anticipate making several offers on homes before one is accepted, and they want to identify potential problems before completing the offer.
Our goal is always to ensure that buyers and sellers understand the true condition of the property, including any serious safety or operational concerns. Accordingly, we recommend that buyers receive a full home inspection after their closing if an abbreviated pre-offer inspection was conducted.
The exact components and items examine during a pre-offer inspection may change based on the client’s needs, but a full inspection will cover areas like the following, plus much more:
- Exterior: Wall cladding, windows, doors, eaves, trims, decks, porches, entryways, steps, grading, and drainage
- Roofing: Roof system, roof penetrations, roof drainage, and roof structure, chimney
- Structure: Foundation, structural framing, floor, walls, ceiling framing, and roof framing
- Heating and Air Conditioning: Furnace system, boiler system, HVAC system, ducts, vents, tanks, fuel supply system, and main fuel shutoff
- Plumbing: Supply and waste piping, main supply shutoff, drains, traps, and vent piping
- Electrical: Service entrance cable, meter area, grounding, main disconnect, main and sub panels, GFCI breakers and receptacles, AFCI breakers, switches, and exposed branch wiring
- Interior: Walls, floors, ceilings, trim, windows, door, other cabinetry, and all interior components
- Appliances: Dishwasher, oven range, other miscellaneous permanently installed appliances and components
Pre-Offer Inspection Pricing
The price of a pre-offer home inspection can vary based on unique individual circumstances. Please contact our team for a custom quote and visit our pricing page for more details.
Pre-Offer Inspection FAQs
Comprehensive Pre-Offer Inspection Reports Let You Act with Confidence
MKC Associates has earned our reputation as industry leaders by quickly providing comprehensive yet understandable home inspection reports within 24 hours of the service. We know that you’re waiting on critical information to decide whether or not you will make an offer on the home. As an added service, we use a tool called “Repair Request Builder” to record all potential issues or fixes noted during the inspection. You can use this list to receive estimates and negotiate a better price, or budget for the repairs after closing. Click here to see an example of our inspection reports, and we encourage you to review our FAQs page for additional information about our services and approach.
Why Get a Pre-Offer Inspection?
Some buyers prefer to wait until their offer has been accepted until ordering a buyer’s home inspection. While this can be tempting due to a home’s desirability or the general competitiveness of the real estate market, you should consider using a pre-offer inspection to determine the property’s condition before entering negotiations.
If you’re serious about buying a new home, and found a property in which you’re highly interested, a pre-offer inspection is an excellent way to make an offer that’s competitive and fair. Although pre-offer inspections are not as common as buyer’s inspections, the seller will understand that you probably intend to make an offer on the property if you’re willing to invest in a pre-offer inspection.
Since you’ve already ordered an inspection and then based your offer on the condition of the property, the negotiation process can be shorter and smoother if you decide to move forward. Rather than assuming there are no serious issues and returning to negotiations after making an offer and finding a problem, a pre-offer inspection can allow you to make a more realistic offer the first time. This is a better negotiating position and protects your interest as a buyer.
How Does a Pre-Offer Inspection Affect the Homebuying Process?
As a general caution, you should always be aware of how many offers have currently been put forward. The sellers or their realtor should be forthcoming with general information about the availability of the property and how quickly it could sell. If there are numerous offers (especially if they are over the asking price), a pre-offer inspection can help you more quickly and confidently make a competitive offer. This confidence gives you more control during the negotiation process.
Overall, if you’re clear and upfront about your intentions with the seller, pre-offer inspection should not affect the home buying process.
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