Are you looking to sell your home and receive the top dollar for it? If so, then you’ll want to learn all you can about performing a pre-listing home inspection.
They can help you prepare for the open market in many ways, showing you what your chances are of receiving the amount that you’re looking for.
Perhaps you’ve never considered a pre-listing inspection before. If not, then be sure to read up as much as you can. It can help you and your agent prepare for the unexpected.
Here is everything to know about pre-listing inspections and why they’re such a vital piece to the home-selling process.
What Can You Expect?
Many people wonder what the difference is between a pre-listing inspection and a buyer’s inspection. The only major difference is who the inspection is being performed for.
A buyer’s inspection, as the name would imply, is a home inspection that’s used to aid potential buyers by studying the current condition of a home. A pre-listing inspection, on the other hand, is used to help the seller.
It’s the same process for either one. The inspector will go around the house observing every aspect of your home. This includes the home’s electricity, HVAC, doors, windows, structure, attic, floors, roof, plumbing, and foundation.
The process only takes a few hours. Once the home inspector is finished, they’ll write up a helpful report and present it to you within the next few days.
It Gives You Peace of Mind
No home is going to be 100-percent perfect. If it was, you definitely wouldn’t be selling it. Potential buyers expect there to be a few issues, but they want to make sure they aren’t setting themselves up with a home that has detrimental issues.
Even still, the fear of the unknown can provide a heavy amount of stress on you during this entire process. You might worry that there are complications to your home that you weren’t aware of. Those issues can set the price back quite a bit.
Rather than sitting around waiting for an interested buyer to perform a home inspection, why not schedule one of your own? That way, you can be made aware of any potential issues and even make plans to fix them before listing the property.
You can then create a home inspection checklist to knock out each issue one step at a time.
You Can Price the Home Accordingly
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging that your home needs a little work. If you know the problems with your property, then you can reach a fair price for whoever’s interested in buying it from you.
Scheduling a pre-listing inspection can help you and your real estate agent price the home accordingly. This can justify the purchase in a buyer’s mind.
For example, you might find out from the pre-listing inspection that the HVAC system will need replacing in a few years. That’s not an expense you want to pay just to get a higher price on the open market.
Instead, you can adjust the price to factor in what the buyer will have to save for an HVAC system replacement down the line. As long as you’re factoring that in and communicating it, the buyer will be more comfortable with the purchase.
Why Perform an Inspection Yourself?
One of the biggest questions surrounding pre-listing inspections is “why should I spend money on one when the buyer is going to anyway?”. In short, because it puts the leverage back on your side.
Say you don’t perform a pre-listing inspection. Then you get an interested buyer that hires a home inspector to observe your home. That inspector finds problems with your foundation that need to be addressed right away.
Assuming the buyer doesn’t run as soon as he/she hears the words “foundation flaws“, they now have all the leverage in negotiations. They will demand a huge reduction in your initial asking price in order to purchase the home.
Since you weren’t aware of the foundation problems before listing the home, you’ll then be stuck choosing between selling the home for far less money or fixing the issue yourself.
The Same Home Inspector Can Help With Your New Home
If you’re looking to sell your current home, then you might still be in the market for finding a new home. If so, then you’ll want to have a home inspection done for any houses you’re interested in.
That’s when growing a business relationship with a trusted home inspector comes in handy. They can help you maximize the value of your investment by finding a home that checks all the boxes for your needs.
Better yet, because you’ve already established communication with them, they’ll be able to put the condition of the home in terms you’ll understand. You can trust their recommendations and get a better idea of which options you should cut ties with.
Finding a pre-listing inspection or home inspection service that you trust is important for your home-selling and home-buying endeavors.
Schedule Your Pre-Listing Inspections Today
Now that you’ve read this in-depth guide on pre-listing inspections, it’s time to find the right inspector for your needs.
Be sure to read this article on home inspection nightmares that you’ll want to avoid as a seller. That way, you’ll get more information on what can turn the process south.
For more inquiries, please feel free to schedule an inspection online and we’ll be happy to assist you further!