Pre-listing home inspections are a great way for sellers to assess the condition of their home and make needed repairs before they go on the market.
In almost every sale of residential real estate, buyers do a home inspection as part of their contract. Inspectors look at the roof, foundation, crawl space, exterior wood/siding, appliances, electrical, HVAC, and more. A long list of repairs from a home inspection can easily spook a nervous buyer and derail a sale.
By inspecting a home in advance, a homeowner can make needed repairs before a buyer ever sets foot in the door. Many repairs might be able to be done by the homeowner or a handy man – if the repairs were brought to light by a buyer’s home inspector, the buyers may request licensed contractors who could be much more expensive.
If a buyer does a home inspection and finds very little wrong with the house that gives them confidence they’ve made a good decision. It also gives the seller piece of mind when they negotiate a contract knowing that they are not likely to be beat up during the buyer’s inspection.
A pre-listing home inspection gives a homeowner an accurate assessment of the condition of areas of the home they may never see such as the crawl space and attic. Inspections range from $250-$500 depending on the home inspector and size of the home.
If you are thinking about selling soon, ask your Realtor for a recommendation for a good home inspector. My advice is to make sure they are members of the American Society of Home Inspectors which is the professional society that sets standards of practice and code of ethics for its members.
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