Should I get a home inspection before selling my house?

This question may come up as you are considering placing your home on the market. It’s tempting during a seller’s market, such as we a currently experiencing in San Diego, Ca, to let the buyer pay for and hire the home inspector. While this may seem like a wise decision on the outset, it can later come back to haunt you.

Along with a hot seller’s market, we are starting to see shorter inspection contingency periods being written into contracts in the hopes of having an offer accepted over others. This can place not only the buyer in a bind, but also the home seller. If significant issues are detected during the home inspection process, it makes for far less headache to deal with those items prior to having an accepted offer and only 5-10 days to complete repairs and have any reinspections performed.

A thorough home inspection will include many of the areas that home owners simply may not think to check. Your home inspection should always include an inspection of the attic, crawl space and basements without any additional charge or hidden fees. Even the most well kept and maintained homes will likely have some repairs or maintenance that would likely need to be addressed when the buyer comes through with their inspector. It takes a lot of stress out of the equation to head off any significant problems before they arise.

Do I have to fix everything in the report? The simple answer to this questions is no. As the seller, you get to decide what you’re willing to fix or update, or even if you don’t want to do anything at all. By having a home inspection prior to entering into a contract with a buyer, you will be well informed of any issues that the buyer may attempt to leverage on you. By disclosing and being aware of any potential deal breakers at the out set, you are far less likely to have your deal fall out of escrow, which can be devastating depending on whether you’ve already purchased another property.

Below are just some of the issues that can come up during the home inspection process that you want to know about BEFORE you are under contract with a buyer:

• Mold
• Cracked Slab/Foundation
• Asbestos
• Underground Oil Tanks
• Lead Paint
• Unsafe Stairs
• Corroded Plumbing
• Hidden Leaks
• Roof Damage/Leaks

Advantages to having a pre-listing inspection:

• You’re given the opportunity to dispute any misstatements in the inspection report before it’s distributed to real estate agents and prospective buyers.
• The report provides an unbiased, third-party, professional opinion about the condition of the home to potential buyers.
• The report may encourage the buyer to waive his own inspection contingency, so the deal is less likely to fall apart the way they often do when a buyer’s inspection reveals unexpected problems at the last minute.
• The report can be hosted on www.FetchReport.com, which can be used as an effective marketing tool.
• The report can help you realistically price the home if problems exist.
• The report can help you substantiate a higher asking price if problems don’t exist or have been corrected.
• The report may relieve a prospective buyer’s unfounded suspicions and concerns before he walks away from an otherwise great deal.
• The report provides full-disclosure protection from future legal claims.

Call today to have your home inspected and Move-In Certified for the peace of mind you deserve, 760-675-5463