One of the biggest, most gut wrenching parts of a home sale experience has got to be the inspection contingency. Most home buyers want to and should hire their own home inspection, but sellers should have one before they list the home as well, and here's why:
- You reduce the stress of loosing a really good buyer who was in love with your home until something caught them off-gaurd on the home inspection, and they changed their minds. This hurts you 10 fold when you put your home back on the market as "the deal that fell through due to a home inspection". This is a RED FLAG EVENT
- You can fix any problems that are found with the home before it's listed and then disclose what you found and how you fixed it. People love to see a property disclosure that includes things that have been found and fixed on a pre-listing home inspection. Something almost always needs a little tweak.
- Got big problems? These can be revealed and if you can't fix them you can at least price the property to sell with the problems right out there in the open. You would be amazed at how many people love fixer-uppers.
- I love to have the pre-listing home inspection right on the kitchen counter for any buyer to see. Another inspector may disagree or find something else, but at least a seller has an opinion from their own home inspector to consider.
- Buyers are very thoughtful and they appreciate knowing up front what's been done to the property. I think it actually helps them make a stronger offer. People can be very suspicious, (someone they know has always got a horror story), and they like to make choices based on things they know rather than things they don't know.
- No home is perfect, even brand new ones. Sellers can advertise a pre-listing home inspection and enhance the sale-ability of their home.
There is things I like and don't about it. the pros is you can know what is going on before you list, but you also have to pay to find out what the buyer may find out later. I wouldn't leave it on the counter because most buyers first reaction is look at all the things wrong before they love the home. I would make it available to them which could save them money out of pocket, but then it can be shown after they write the deal. I'm on the fence of their net value. It also depends if the seller is going to pay for repairs then it is good.
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