Home Inspection Checklist For Sellers: Pros and Cons
Are you considering getting a pre-listing home inspection done? Should a seller hire a home inspector?
Many homeowners will ask their real estate agent if getting their home pre-inspected before putting it on the market is a good idea.
Having been a real estate agent for the past thirty-seven years, I will tell you that there are more good reasons for having a home inspection than not.
As a seller, you know that buyers will need a home inspection before they agree to purchase the property. But what if you were to beat them to it?
Getting a pre-listing home inspection offers some advantages to sellers you may not know. The biggest, of course, is finding out the exact condition of the property.
The home inspection checklist provided by a top home inspector could be invaluable for making repairs and improvements before going on the market.
Exceptional real estate agents continually preach to their seller clients about the importance of being ready for the buyer’s home inspection.
Consider the pros and cons to help you determine whether a pre-listing inspection suits you.
What is a Pre-Listing Home Inspection?
A presale inspection is when a seller hires a professional home inspector before selling their home. It allows a seller to asses their property’s condition.
By having a presale inspection, a homeowner can identify any significant problems that should be addressed. A seller can take the preinspection report and create a checklist of repairs.
Presale home inspections allow sellers to remedy potential problems before buyers become aware.
Inspected houses before selling give owners confidence moving forward. There shouldn’t be any deal breakers.
How Much Does a Presale Home Inspection Cost?
The cost of a home inspection before listing for sale will be no different than when a buyer has one. You can review our guide on how much you should expect to pay for a home inspection.
The inspection cost will depend on the size of the home, the state you’re located in, and any extras you would like inspected, such as radon, pests, and water, among others.
Difference Between Pre-Inspection and Full Inspection
There should be no difference between a pre-listing inspection and when a buyer has one. The inspector hired should be just as thorough whether the inspection occurs before or after listing for sale.
Getting a Home Inspection Before Putting a House on The Market
Let’s review the pros and cons of having your home pre-inspected.
Pros Of Having a Presale Home Inspection
1. You Find out Your Home Condition.
One of the biggest fears of most sellers is that when a buyer does get the home inspected, something will be discovered that kills the sale. This concern is undoubtedly justified. The home inspection is often where sales fall apart – leaving the seller to pick up the pieces.
Having your home under contract only to return on the market after a home inspection is unpleasant.
But as the seller, you don’t have to wait for the buyer’s inspection. You can have your pre-inspection done and get ahead of any issues before listing the property for sale.
By having a home inspection before hitting the market, you’ll find out the exact condition of your home. Make sure, however, you pick an excellent home inspector.
Like any other business, some are considered exceptionally thorough, and others are not. There is no point in having your home inspected if the home inspector only catches a fraction of the issues.
In the reference above, you’ll see some of the best ways to find a top-shelf inspector.
2. You Can Become FHA Mortgage Compliant
One of the most popular mortgage programs for buyers is an FHA loan. The FHA has requirements for the condition of a home. You can meet the FHA inspection requirements for an appraisal by having your property inspected.
You will then be able to take care of any of the deficiencies pointed out. Otherwise, your home will become contingent when an offer is accepted, and then you will wait for an appraiser to report the condition to the lender.
Fixing the noted problems will be mandatory to close the sale.
3. Pricing The Home Accurately is Much Easier.
Choosing an accurate price for your home is one of the most challenging parts of the home sales process. It takes experience and skill to find the sweet spot – too high, and buyers will stay away; too low, and you miss out on money from the sale.
The best way to choose a price is to work with a Realtor experienced in your market, but even the best real estate agent will struggle with pricing if the state of the home is unclear.
Having a pre-inspection before your house goes on the market ensures that you have all the facts, which makes setting a price much more straightforward.
4. You’ll Minimize Stress Knowing The Condition.
Not knowing if something is wrong with your home adds a lot of stress to the sales process.
Selling your home is never easy, to begin with. Worrying that the sale will fall through because of something that turns up during an inspection adds a thick layer of anxiety to your life that won’t go away until the sale closes.
Fortunately, you can wipe away that anxiety pretty easily. You have to get your pre-inspection before listing. Something may or may not need to be fixed. A pre-listing inspection will let you know either way.
You can feel more confident about your home’s current condition by getting the inspection done.
5. You Can Make Repairs For Any Identified Issues.
Most agents will tell you to make major repairs before you list your home. The buyer’s inspection will uncover significant defects, and you will be expected to repair them if you want to get full price for your home.
The problem is that you will only have until closing to complete the repairs if you wait until the buyer’s inspection.
The limited time frame puts sellers on edge, leaving them scrambling to fix everything quickly. With a pre-listing inspection, you set your schedule for repairs. There is no rush to list the property until you have ensured the home is in good shape.
You’ll be putting your home on the market with the confidence you’ve corrected any significant problems.
6. Less Likelihood of Negotiations With a Presale Inspection.
Buyers often use the home inspection to ask for additional seller concessions. They will use the home inspection as a means to renegotiate the sale. That’s because they know that there will probably be one or more issues that will come up, warranting reconsideration of the price.
Negotiating home inspections is a common hurdle in the real estate process.
Not many people enjoy it; for some, it can become highly stressful. This is especially true if the buyer and seller don’t see eye to eye, which isn’t unusual.
Quite often, buyers ask for inspection repairs they shouldn’t because they don’t get proper counseling from their buyer’s agent. There will be a long list of knit picking.
A pre-listing inspection helps you avoid the typical interactions that follow the buyer’s inspection. You are unlikely to learn anything new about your home from the examination, and neither is the buyer because you have already had an inspection done.
You and the buyer have been aware of any issues and all repairs from the beginning of your interaction. Negotiations still may occur, but they will probably be minimal.
7. Help Improve The Buyer’s Confidence With an Inspection in Hand.
Anytime you can hand a buyer an inspection report that details the present condition of a home, you’re probably going to make them feel more confident about the purchase.
Buyers naturally are skeptical about a home’s condition until their home inspection is completed. For many folks buying a home will be the most money they will ever spend on a single purchase.
Buyers will calculate what they can afford now and upkeep in the future.
If a buyer suspects the house might have hidden problems, their offer could reflect that. An inspection before listing for sale can help eliminate much doubt about the home.
Knowing that a professional has carefully reviewed the home allows the buyer to make a confident offer.
8. Make Your Real Estate Agent’s Job Easier.
Real Estate agents are used to selling homes without pre-listing inspections. Of course, most would prefer it if sellers did get a pre-listing home inspection. Knowing the actual state of the house allows the Realtor to do a better job for the client.
The agent can price the home more accurately, negotiate more confidently, and attract buyers more easily because buyers like homes inspected before listing. Ultimately, making the Realtor’s job easier brings financial benefits to the seller.
Home inspections are a significant hurdle to clear in a real estate transaction. Once that is done, most will breathe a sigh of relief.
Knowing that a home is in great shape makes a real estate agents job way easier!Click To TweetEven Kramer gets pumped when he knows a home is in great shape!
Cons Of Having a Pre-Listing Inspection
Many people wonder about the drawbacks of having a home inspection before putting your home up for sale. Here are the primary reasons:
1. You Will Have to Pay For The Pre-Listing Inspection.
Inspections are not free, and just because you get a pre-listing check does not mean you will not have to go through a buyer’s inspection.
The pre-listing inspection costs will come out of your pocket. The price is arguably worth it for its benefits, but some sellers may not have the funds to cover a pre-listing inspection.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $400-1000 for a general inspection depending on the area of the country you are located in. There are also other things you may want to inspect for which the inspector may charge other monies, including:
- Testing for the presence of radon both in the air and water.
- Doing a well test for quality and quantity. See the guide for buying a home with well water.
- Testing for mold present in the home. See the manual for selling a house with mold.
- Checking for the presence of lead paint. Look over this guide for testing for lead paint.
2. Disclosure Laws May Require You to Disclose Any Issues.
Depending on the disclosure laws in your state, you may be legally required to disclose all the problems the inspection uncovers to the buyer. Whether disclosure puts you at a disadvantage largely depends on your finances.
If you have the money to make repairs, disclosure is not much of an issue. But if you cannot make necessary repairs, the defects you find through the pre-listing inspection may make it more challenging to sell your home.
What you must disclose to a buyer when selling a home varies tremendously from state to state. Some states require full disclosure; others do not.
For example, in Massachusetts, where I am located, we are known as a Caveat Emptor state or “let the buyer beware.” The seller does not have to voluntarily disclose any defects with their home other than lead paint.
The seller must, however, answer a buyer’s questions accurately and honestly. So if a buyer asks if there has been water in the basement, the seller cannot lie.
However, it should be made clear that Real Estate agents are held to a much higher standard. An agent must inform buyers of any problem with a home.
By doing a home inspection before listing for sale, you would know about a significant percentage of problems. If you live in a state requiring disclosure, you must let the buyer in on these issues.
Some would argue, who cares, as they will find out anyway once they do their inspection.
Whether it is the law to disclose or not, how would you feel if someone concealed problems from you? Do the right thing and reveal any issues you know about.
3. There Will be Two Inspections of Your Home.
The inspection should not be too problematic if you have had a pre-listing review and made appropriate repairs before listing.
However, it is worth noting that you will still need to go through the buyer’s inspection regardless of whether you get a pre-listing check.
Make Your Real Estate Agent Attends The Home Inspection
When you hire a real estate agent, you want someone with you every step of the way. Your real estate agent should be your eyes and ears.
With a home inspection being one of the most substantial hurdles to a successful sale, it makes sense that the listing agent should be at the home inspection.
Even though you have had your inspection, don’t assume that the buyer’s home inspector doesn’t come to the table with different thoughts and opinions.
Frankly, the inspector may tell the buyer something different than your inspector did.
Over the years, I have seen the same home inspected multiple times, with each inspector representing problems very differently. I have written about how some home inspectors frighteningly explain issues. On occasion, this is done intentionally. Remember, every industry has folks who aren’t very professional.
You want your real estate agent to attend to have a complete perspective of what was represented by the buyer. Far too many times, problems are blown out of proportion.
Pre-Listing Home Inspection Near Me
Finding a home inspector who will do a pre-inspection should not be challenging. Ask your real estate agent for a referral.
If you have not committed to an agent yet, you can do an online search for a pre-listing home inspection near me.
Pre-Listing Inspection Benefits
For most sellers, a pre-listing inspection makes sense.
While certain situations make a pre-listing inspection undesirable, a pre-listing review offers too many benefits to ignore for most sellers. It is a proactive step that puts you ahead of the curve, allowing you to see the path ahead of you much more clearly.
You can plan better, rest easier and possibly get a better price on your home.
You should speak to a few real estate agents in your area and get their thoughts on having a pre-inspection done. More than likely, the agents will look favorably upon doing one.
Additional Useful Home Selling Articles
- How to make more money as a seller – get some valuable insights on how to make more money when selling your home. One way is to get a presale listing inspection and correct any blatant defects with the property.
- Make your home a smart house – smart homes are becoming more and more desirable. See what you need to know.
- Boost your home’s value with these tips – see some excellent advice on improving your home’s market value before listing for sale.
Use these additional home-selling references to find success with your sale.
About the author: Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in his field, provided the above Real Estate information on the pros and cons of a pre-listing home inspection. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett at remaxexec.com or 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of Metrowest towns for the last 37+ Years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about Real Estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
