Seller Tips: Getting a Prelist Inspection

Seller Tips: Getting a Prelist Inspection:

Nobody lives in a perfect house and sometimes we live with those imperfections rather than fix them.  When you begin to think about selling your house, you can spend a lot of money on fixing all the things that you have just "lived with". 

One question  many sellers ask is if I would recommend a Prelist Inspection. 

The Benefits of a Prelist Inspection:

• You can be ahead of the game.  Getting an offer on your house is only the first step.  Once you get an offer, the buyer will schedule an inspection and they will inevitably find something wrong with the house.  If you have had a prelist inspection you will avoid any surprises when the inspection happens.
• It may give your house an advantage over another house.  If you choose to share the Inspection Report with the buyer, they may accept it and decide to save the money on their own inspection, which could save time if someone wants a quick close.

The Downside of having a Prelist Inspection:

• The cost.  Many sellers may need to spend money for carpet or paint and they just do not want to spend the extra $500 to have an inspection done.
• The unknown.   There is a chance that the Inspection will reveal something that must then be disclosed to potential buyers.  

Here are my thoughts on a Prelist Inspection:

• In general, I don't reccommend a prelist Inspection.  I think the expense is too high and you may end up getting news you don't want to hear.  I'd rather tackle inspection issues when the buyer has it done.  Sometimes the things that you think are important to fix, are not even a concern for a buyer.  I sold a house recently with a large crack in the front porch.  I talked about it with my seller and we were prepared with a quote from a concrete company to have it repaired.  The buyers did not even bring it up at Inspection.  When I drove by there recently I noticed that the buyers had put in a new, enlarged fron porch.  If my seller had spent the $1100 on the concrete work it would have been a lost expense for these buyers.  I think the traditional timing for inspection is best, but being prepared is always a good idea.  Discuss with your Agent the potential problems and have aproximate costs for those repairs in mind so you don't end up spending too much on repairs!
• I think money is better spent on paint or carpet.  Check out my blog Should I Replace My Carpet Before I Put my House on the Market?