When your home goes up for sale, a home inspection is often part of the process. Typically, the inspection happens after an offer has been made by a prospective buyer and accepted by the seller. The results of that inspection will affect the final negotiated price for the property. As the homeowner, you can request a pre-listing home inspection. This service will give you important information about your property. Here are four benefits of ordering a pre-listing home inspection.
Addressing Problems in Advance
There are some repair issues that are obvious to you as someone who has lived in the house for a long time. They may be normal wear and tear concerns that come with most existing homes on the market.
A pre-listing home inspection details a list of these items and other issues that may be unknown to you. Learning about any problems will keep you from being blindsided by something that comes up in the buyer’s inspection. It’s good to know in advance if the roof is failing or if there is a mold problem.
Making the Fixes from a Pre-Listing Home Inspection
When you’re armed with the results of an inspection, you can choose to make some needed repairs yourself. As a homeowner, you’ve probably done your fair share of DIY projects and repairs around the house.
You can also hire someone to make these repairs for you. Fixing any known items means there will be fewer things for a buyer to use to negotiate a lower price. It will also support the fact that you’ve taken good care of the property.
Informed Repair Costs
The pre-listing home inspection might reveal needed repairs that are beyond your DIY skills. Serious problems with the foundation, electrical wiring, or the roof might require a contractor and crew to fix. That doesn’t mean that you have to make those repairs. However, you could get an estimate for those fixes and use that number to help set a price for your home.
For instance, if you find out that your foundation needs $10,000 in repairs, then you can disclose that to a buyer and adjust the list price accordingly. If you decide to complete the work before putting the home up for sale, you have time to get quotes from multiple contractors. The more information you have going into the sales process, the stronger your position will be.
A Favorable Pre-Listing Home Inspection Report
If your home gets a clean bill of health from the pre-listing home inspection, share the report with prospective buyers. You could even offer the inspection report as part of the open house or with an online listing. Your real estate broker will be able to use a pre-listing report as a selling point for the home. Transparency about the condition of your home helps buyers to be more confident with their offers.
Checkpoint Home Inspections provides pre-listing home inspections to Northwest Oregon. Contact us to schedule an inspection before putting your home on the market.