If you are thinking about ordering a pre-listing home inspection, you’ll be positioning yourself well for successfully selling your home. Home sellers are focused on getting a quick offer on their property at or close to the list price. Unfortunately, the property’s condition has a major impact on your ability to achieve this goal.
Learning more about your home’s true condition and taking thoughtful, proactive steps to improve it gives you an edge over other sellers. A home inspection provides the insight that you need to accomplish this goal, but you should understand a few important things before you request an appointment with a home inspector.
When and How to Order a Pre-Listing Home Inspection
Some homeowners may be thrilled to discover that their home is in such great condition that no major repair work is needed before listing it for sale. However, even homes that have been well-maintained over the years will have signs that they have been lived in. Components can and do wear out. Some items may break in various ways because of age or usage. Even if you do your best to properly care for your home, you should give yourself plenty of time to address any repair issues before listing the home for sale. With this in mind, it is a great idea to order a pre-listing home inspection at least a few weeks before you plan to list your property.
1. You May Be Surprised By the Inspector’s Thoroughness
As soon as you receive the report from a pre-listing home inspection, you may be floored by the length of the document. Most inspectors list areas and items that are in good condition and those that are in poor condition. Your initial reaction may be surprised over the amount of information, but spend time reading the details before panicking.
2. Not All Repair Items Need to Be Addressed
When you read the report, you’ll likely notice that the inspector has found nearly everything that you know is wrong with your property along with many items that you had no clue about. The thought of spending the time and money repairing or replacing everything in the report can be overwhelming. However, your buyer knows that he or she is purchasing a used home that has been lived in. There usually is an expectation that the home will be in overall good condition with some minor defects or needed repairs.
3. Repair Items Will Be Prioritized
While you may not need to address all issues identified in a pre-listing home inspection report, you should plan to address serious ones. Some issues, such as a cracked support beam in the attic, might be a huge red flag for a buyer. It’s often best to address any significant problems yourself to give your property a clean bill of health instead of having them discovered later by a potential buyer and possibly compromising the sale of your home.
4. You Can Request an Updated Inspection Report
After you make all the repairs that you intend to, consider requesting a re-inspection from your home inspector. This revised report can be provided to potential buyers as a selling point. After all, a buyer may be more likely to make an offer on a home that they know the condition of than make an offer on another home with a questionable or unknown concern.
If you plan to list your home for sale within the next few months, now is the time to order a pre-listing inspection report. Allow the information in this report to guide your home maintenance and updating efforts moving forward.
Hub City Home Inspections offers pre-listing home inspections and re-inspections to sellers in Southern Mississippi, and buyer’s inspection services. Contact us to book an appointment.