Take the High Road when selling your home.
Find out what you need to do. Prior to getting your home on the market to sell, you, as a home Seller, will be required to complete a detailed Sellers Property Disclosure for all areas of your home. The Seller’s Property Disclosure will be several pages of questions for you to answer about your property referring to any claims/assessments, structure related items, roof related items, termites/pests/dry rot/wood destroying organisms, plumbing related, pool/spa/hot tub related, major appliances, electrical system, heating/air conditioning system and a section for anything else; so it covers EVERYTHING. This will be provided to any Buyer of your home so they are well aware of any known issues of your home. If you had a Master Bathroom plumbing leak repaired, you need to disclose it. If you had any structural issues with your homes foundation, you need to disclose it. If you had your roof repaired and/or replaced you need to disclose it. If you had mold remediation completed, yes, you understand now; you must disclose it.
Are you thinking if you tell the Buyer about that fact that your home’s foundation was repaired when you had a part of your home’s floor slanting due to foundation settlement that they then won’t want to buy your home? Imagine if you didn’t tell them, they now own your home and it’s later discovered and revealed that further issues have resulted from your negligence in telling them about it? A lawsuit waiting to happen. Disclose Disclose Disclose. Disclosure doesn’t mean you’ll lose a Buyer. Many Buyers will purchase your home, prior defects and all!
It’s also important to understand that a Buyer will complete an inspection of your home and the items you were frightened about “showing up” will likely show up in a home inspection anyway. When a Buyer finds out about an issue during an inspection that presents evidence of a past problem being taken care yet, not initially disclosed to them will raise all kinds of red flags, as they’ll then wonder what else are you trying to hide.
Never think that you can brush a repair under the rug, as the rug will be moved and it will be discovered so take the high road when it comes to selling your South Florida home.
This article was written by by Lynn Pineda, your Coral Springs Realtor and South Florida REALTOR® with Keller Williams Partners Realty.
