Enough emphasis cannot be expressed on how important a home inspection (pre-sale inspection) is before you list your home for sale. It could mean the difference of thousands of dollars in your pocket at closing. A sale that falls apart could be disastrous for a seller. The seller may have already purchased a new home contingent on the sale of the current home.
Home buyers are looking for the most they can get in new home. Upgrades like a newly remodeled kitchen and bathroom are at the top of the list. However, let’s not downplay the less obvious things that you may or may not be aware of, typically almost 85% of buyers will request a home inspection as part of the purchase contract. They have a lot at stake and the minor cost of a thorough home inspection is a small price to pay to protect their investment.
Why should you get one if the buyer is going to get one anyway? I will give you four great reasons.
- So you can be sure you are setting your asking price correctly
- To make sure you are putting the most money possible in your pocket at closing
- To avoid any delays to the sale
- No surprises for the buyer or the seller means less/no renegotiation
Maybe you don’t know you have less insulation in your attic space than you should, or your AC unit is not handling the load properly. Worse yet, you might have roof or foundation issues not readily visible to you. The buyer’s inspector will find any issues and that means they will want to renegotiate for repairs or price and that is okay if you are expecting it. Keep the sale in your favor and don’t leave anything to chance.
If your home is free of any big issues, great! Being able to show a clean home inspection report to a buyer will take away any ammunition they would have to beat you up on price. Plus, you can make the buyers happy by letting them know you have already fixed all or certain items that may have shown on a report in lieu of a price reduction. While not a substitute for a buyer’s inspection a pre-sale home inspection will serve to alert the seller to any potential conditions that could delay or alter the sale.