Selling your home is a process, but it can start you on the path of meeting your future goals. There are several steps in the selling process that must align in order to make the sale of your home smooth. One major aspect is having your home inspected. Many people wait until the potential buyer decides to get the house inspected. That is definitely an option. However, a pre-listing home inspection does hold many benefits for you as the seller. RHI will check all the same components in a pre-listing inspection for you that we do in a standard home inspection for a potential buyer.
When considering a pre-listing inspection, you need to decide what level of control you would like in this part of the process. Whether you have chosen a realtor to help you or you are selling on your own, you might be concerned about what an inspector might find. If the buyers decide to have an inspection, they now have more control over what they want fixed, and a major say in who fixes it. You can help eliminate your worries and have more control over repairs with a pre-listing home inspection. The inspection report would highlight any current defects upfront and you would be able to fix anything that could potentially hinder the sale of your home.
If you list with a realtor, you will also be required to complete a seller’s disclosure form. This form requires you to list any known defects with your home. Knowing the defects of your home before filling out this form eliminates surprises. This will help reduce your seller liability as defects will be noted in the report from a third-party inspector that can be shared with potential buyers. It gives the future owners full disclosure of any possible defects and greatly limits your liability.
Another benefit of a pre-listing home inspection is that it helps you set a fair listing price. You know any possible defects and have the opportunity to go ahead and choose if you want to fix some or all those defects. You also have a say in who will complete the repairs. Having the inspection before listing the property allows extra time for repairs to be completed and this is very beneficial for keeping closing dates on time. This can also help you set a fair price based on the repairs that need to be completed or the repairs that you did complete before listing.
A pre-listing home inspection gives both the buyers and sellers peace of mind. It aids the buyers in writing fair offers and the sellers when deciding which offer to accept. Pre-listing inspections also help you limit your liability and you have more control in the sale of your home. As a seller, you are able to learn about the current defects in your home, which ones you would like to have fixed, and who will complete the repairs. All of these are strong reasons to consider a pre-listing inspection.
