SELLERS PRE-LISTING HOME INSPECTION
Benefits of a sellers pre-listing home inspection
Listing inspections are very good for the homeowner. Many sales are cancelled due to the buyer’s shock of the unforeseen condition of the home. It may look great, but have serious technical, safety, or functional issues present without the owner’s knowledge. Having the home inspected prior to placing on the market is the ideal way to identify and either repair or disclose the issues found in the inspection report. Also, providing prospective buyers with an inspection report could be a huge selling point as the buyers will not have to have the home inspected again.
Better marketing
Pre-inspections don’t only uncover negatives — they can also give you an opportunity to promote what’s great about your home. If your inspector gives you any good news — like your furnace has plenty of good years left or your sewer connection is in perfect condition — you can promote those in your listing.
Just making the results of your pre-inspection available to buyers is a way to build trust. Building trust with your buyer is especially important if you’re selling for sale by owner (FSBO), as you’ll be working with your buyer directly.
Valuable improvement advice
A pre-inspection can help sellers prioritize which improvements and upgrades to complete before listing. By following your inspector’s advice, you can update the parts of your home that are in most crucial need of repair and bypass less important upgrades. Remember, buyers aren’t just looking for cosmetic upgrades. They also want to know that your home’s major systems are in good shape. So if you end up replacing your roof, upgrading your HVAC system or installing new energy-efficient windows as a result of your pre-inspection findings, you’ll want to use those as selling points.
More negotiating power
When you already know the issues that are going to come up during the buyer’s inspection, you can price accordingly, which will give you stronger negotiating power. For example, if you’ve already factored the need for a new roof into your listing price and you make that clear upon receiving the initial offer, buyers are less likely to come back and try and get you to lower the price further.
Alternatively — but equally as beneficial — if your pre-inspection comes back clean, you will have more leverage when negotiating with buyers.
