When you’re trying to sell your home, should you hire your own home inspector? It’s a good question, and it’s one many homeowners ask their real estate agents before putting their houses on the market. As it turns out, there are a lot of great reasons to get a pre-listing home inspection before a buyer makes an offer. We’ll tell you everything you need to know below for a smooth, hassle-free sale process.
1. You won’t be surprised.
There are certain flaws about your home you’re already well aware of, but what about the things you know nothing about? When you order a pre-listing inspection, you get a top-to-bottom report of hundreds of features and systems in your home. If any problems are revealed, you’ll have a chance to repair them or build repairs into your asking price. This is especially good for DIYers, who can save a lot of money by completing simple repairs themselves.
2. You can price your home more accurately.
Pricing is one of the toughest parts of selling your home, but a pre-listing inspection makes it easier. Once you have a full picture of your home’s strengths and weaknesses, you can be a lot more confident that you’ve arrived at the right price point. If a buyer sees that you’ve priced your home transparently based on an independent inspection, they may also be less likely to submit a lower offer.
3. You’ll save money in the long run.
Having to deal with a surprise repair that only comes to light during the buyer’s inspection can be more expensive than taking care of the problem yourself. Whether the buyer insists on an expensive contractor rather than a DIY repair or wants more money taken off your asking price than you think is fair, relying solely on a buyer’s inspection can be costly.
4. You’ll save time and stress on negotiations.
When all parties are fully informed about the home being sold, the process of selling goes much faster and cuts down on stress. Without a pre-listing inspection, the one question that’s bound to be on your mind is “what if there’s a sale-killing problem I don’t know about?” And if you do know about a problem that’s likely to affect a buyer’s decision, it’s better to get everything out in the open from the get-go.
5. You’ll make your real estate agent’s job much easier.
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes when you’re a real estate agent. When working to sell a home, an agent can spend days researching not only the house itself, but the neighborhood, schools and values of other homes in the area, too. When you add a pre-listing inspection to the data your agent is collecting, they can form a better idea of what your home will reasonably go for in the current market, which makes the process go smoothly for everyone involved.
Call National Property Inspections for a Full Assessment of Your Home
Your local NPI inspector has the professional training and experience to help assess the condition of your home’s structure and major systems. Give them a call today to schedule your pre-listing inspection.
