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Nashville Real Estate Market - Should a Seller Get an Inspection Done?

Here in the Nashville Real Estate Market, a seller is generally not responsible for having an inspection done.

The question is... Should a Seller get a Pre-Emptive Inspection Done?

After reading this suggestion on the Lowe's Realtor Benefits Page today, I was thinking a lot about whether or not this should be done or if this is going too far?

When Listing a Home in Nashville, Tennessee, the typical steps are to disclose all of the information known about the house, get the home and yard cleaned up, maybe the home gets staged and then market, market, market. Have an open house. Bring the buyers in. Follow up on the showings. All of the tradition stuff. Then, if it is priced right, work out any offers brought in.

But what if the Seller orders an inspection the day after listing and finds out any problems contained in the house and then fixes or repairs them, offers an allowance to compensate, or alters the listing price of the house?

I wonder if this would fly in Nashville?

And then, the question that is probably on everybody's mind... who pays for it?!?

I can just see that conversation right now! LOL! My thought is that the seller pays for it up front and then on the closing side, the realtor can soak up half of the cost. In Nashville, an inspection only runs about $300.

So, what do you think about this? Any thoughts, any ideas? Is it a good technique to use to get a home priced right and sold quickly?

Posted by Emily Lowe - Nashville, TN Realtor on 10/29/2007 10:58 AM

Comments (4)

seller, inspection, nashville

This post has been included in Tennessee Information

4 Comments on Nashville Real Estate Market - Should a Seller Get an Inspection Done?

I always recoemmend sellers get an inpection at the time lof listing, especially if it is an older property. I have no problem with assisting with the cost...as long as it closes!

10/29/2007 11:08 AM

by Gary Waters - Real Estate Agent Viera Suntree (Century 21 Baytree Realty www.moving2brevard.com)

This is useful if the seller has any concerns about the house prior to listing. However, rarely . . . if ever . . . will any buyer rely upon the seller's inspection for their own due diligence. The seller would bear this cost and would not generally be able to pass any of it along to the buyer. Yet, if defects are found as a result of the seller's inspections, the seller now would have an obligation to disclose the findings of that inspection under most state disclosure laws. For that reason I would recommend providing a copy of the seller's inspection report to the buyer even if they conduct their own inspection. This would potentially protect the seller, you, and your brokerage for future litigation.

10/29/2007 11:15 AM

by Prudential Americana Group, REALTORS

Forrest - Thanks for that response - very informative - I'm with Prudential also!

10/29/2007 11:20 AM

by Emily Lowe - Nashville, TN Realtor (Prudential Woodmont Realty)

well I think there are some pros and cons about the seller doing that. Yes they would be aware of any issues that could come up but some people might be asking for different things. I wouldn't want to offer up something that the buyer might not even ask me for in the end. I think it is wise for the seller to spend $300 to find out if there are any serious issues that they should know about before hand so they can be prepared. Most likely the buyer is going to order one anyways.

10/31/2007 12:44 PM

by Rick Grand (Oregon Real Estate Properties)

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