If you are selling your house...
Eventually your buyer is going to conduct their own Home Inspection to determine the house's condition. You may as well know what that inspection will find before they do.
Sure, you have probably lived in the house for years, but many defects are not always evident. A pre-listing inspection will give you a chance to see your house through a prospective buyer's eyes. Many times, experienced and professional listing agent Realtors will recommend a pre-listing inspection. If some of the defects found are fixed, the revised report is a great selling tool!
Forewarned is forearmed, and selling your house is a stressful enough process as it is. Why not eliminate some of that stress? A Pre-Listing Home Inspection will point out any problems with the house, ahead of time, and help in many other ways:
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It allows you to evaluate your house through the eyes of an objective third party. How will a prospective buyer see your home? How can you maximize that critical first impression?
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It helps you to set the price of your house realistically and gives you the ability to maximize the sale price. So many homes do not sell simply because the owner has no objective way of knowing what it is really worth to a potential buyer.
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It permits you to make some, or all, of the needed repairs ahead of time so that defects won't become negotiating stumbling blocks later. Most found defects are fairly inexpensive to fix.
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It avoids delays in obtaining financing, insurance and Use and Occupancy permits.
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You will have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if qualified, without having to scramble to meet a purchase contract imposed time frame. A good home inspector can be of help here too.
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It may encourage the buyer to waive the inspection contingency.
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It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as asbestos, radon gas or active termite infestation.
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It will relieve the prospective buyer's concerns and suspicions
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It reduces your liability by adding professional supporting documentation to your disclosure statement.
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Alerting you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.
A copy of the inspection report, as well as the receipts for any repairs, could be made available to potential buyers. Pre-planning and proactive repairs usually pay for themselves many times over, not only financially, but also in peace of mind and stress reduction at a time when more stress is the last thing you need.
