Home inspections conducted prior to a home being placed on
market is one of wisest moves a seller can make. The initial response from sellers when approached with idea of an inspection done as home is about to be put up for sale is most always same - "What?!"Let's review a few of most common concerns about Pre-Listing Home Inspections.
1. "The buyer will not accept an inspection done for seller."
That is correct! The inspection done for seller is not intended to replace inspection done for buyer. The purpose of pre-listing inspection is to put seller in control!
Given that no good surprise can come to seller during home inspection, regardless of when it is done or whom it is done for, it makes perfect sense to get every strand of information as soon as it can be gotten. Bad news doesn't get better with time.
If there is some bad news, or more correctly, some items that needs attention or might have an impact on home's value, who better to receive that information than seller? And when is a better time to receive that information than before home is placed on market?
The simple fact is this - a home inspection at time of listing will put seller in best possible position. With complete and clear view of home's strengths and weaknesses, home can be marketed to best benefit of seller.
2. "I don't want to pay for inspection."
This is certainly understandable. The seller generally perceives that inspection is intended for buyer, hence, should be a buyer's responsibility. But to have benefit of information it must be paid for. Never have we had a complaint from a seller about value of inspection! In every case at conclusion of a pre-listing inspection, seller felt they had made a good choice in spending money to get inspection done.
