Ordering a home inspection BEFORE you list a home for sale is a great idea for people who are interested in getting to a closing quickly and with fewer surprises.

Save Time and Money

As a seller, you must provide a Seller’s Disclosure that indicates all known defects in the home. In this situation, however, what you don’t know can hurt you!

The home inspector is usually hired by the Buyer and arrives at your property after a contract is negotiated to inspect and list any defects, questionable areas, upgrade suggestions and maintenance.

When significant problems are found by the Home Inspector the buyer may:

• terminate the contract.
• or ask for inflated amounts to have the problem fixed.
• or be so alarmed by the defect found, will terminate the contract without giving you the chance to fix it.

In any of these situations, your house is back on the market and the problem is still there for the next buyer to find.

A Seller's Inspection will virtually eliminate all the hassles and blown deals inspections cause when the Buyer brings their inspector. It gives the leverage back to the Seller.

What About Repairs?

The ideal use of a pre-inspection by a home seller is to determine what repairs are needed in the home and make them.

Sellers with homes found in need of repairs should make the repairs and provide the listing inspection report to buyers along with documentation (warranties on the work or receipts) that the repairs have been made. This generates enormous good faith between buyers and sellers and increases the likelihood of a quick and amicable sale. The bottom line is by eliminating the issues that buyers may want to negotiate is win-win for both buyers and sellers.

On the other hand, if your home is not in such stellar shape, the benefits to having a home listing inspection remain significant. If you are not inclined to make repairs, one of the biggest benefits of having your home pre-inspected is that the home's problems can be taken into consideration when pricing the home or during original listing negotiations with a home buyer.

This can minimize, if not eliminate, re-negotiations which often fuel emotions and turn off buyers. Historically, buyers will want to negotiate two dollars for every dollar of reported deficiencies. Just think of having to drop your listing price by the amount equal to twice as much as the cost of all the repairs needed in your home! It can really add up.

By having a professional home inspection document the repairs needed in your home you can take control of the situation. You can present the inspection report to your buyers and let them know that all these repairs needed are reflected in the listing price. The buyer then has the opportunity to decide whether they would like to move forward and accept the offer. During this time, the home can continue to be shown.