Spring is almost here! It must be time to put your home on the market! What to do first? Call the Mohr Group, of course! Here is one item that we will tell you to take care of right away. If you have a septic tank, I recommend you call a septic company and have them do an ADEQ inspection form. Yes, it is only good for 6 months. In this market you should expect it to be sold in 6 months. And if it isn’t and you chose a professional septic company, they shouldn’t charge very much for a re-inspect.
I don’t want to give out names for septic companies but I will tell you what I have learned in almost 40 years of working with septic companies. Going local is best. And don’t pick the company because they are the lower of the bids for the inspection as many times they may be the highest in repairs. I have my favorite and although he will admit to not being the cheapest, his expertise gives me confidence that I won’t get calls after close of escrow. Talk to the company and ask questions on costs/repairs before the inspection is started.
If you do have an issue, you can have it repaired, hole put back into place and no heartburn with a buyer being concerned about a problem. Disclosing to a buyer after a repair is much better than having the buyer involved when you find out an issue. The AAR Wastewater Addendum states the seller will pay up to 1% of the sales price for repair. This makes sense as you cannot live in the house in a house without a working septic/sewer. No lender will lend if it doesn’t have a working septic. Having the problem resolved ahead of time allows you to know how much money you had to spend prior to any negotiations. If you do need to replace the tank, you can use that as a selling bonus.
Another tip to avoid surprises is to have a pre-inspection done on your home. This may cost up to $500 but will come in handy don’t remember the last time your roof was recoated or the year of your a/c unit. Your upfront costs will help make your house shine when the buyer does their inspection.
The Mohr Group, Realty Executives has more to share to help you get top dollar for your home. Call us at 602-980-7653
