As a homeowner who is selling your property, you probably already know that buyers will often hire a property inspector before closing. In fact, a home inspection is often a requirement for a mortgage.
The trickier question is: should you as a seller also hire a professional to conduct a pre-inspection? This type of inspection is where you hire someone to scrutinize your property even before it’s listed.
If you are wondering if a pre-inspection is worthwhile, here are some pros and cons to look at.
PRO: A Home Inspection Means Fewer Surprises
A certified home inspector evaluates around 1,600 items that make up a home’s foundation, structure, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. The objective of an inspection is to uncover hidden (and potentially expensive) problems that could affect the value of your property.
For buyers, the home inspection report can help them request for repairs or reopen price negotiations. For sellers, the benefits of an inspection are less clear-cut, but at the very least it offers some peace of mind. With an inspection, you will become aware of the maintenance issues of your house, and this can soften the suspense of waiting to hear back from the buyer’s inspector.
CON: A Home Inspection Costs Money
On average, having your home inspected will cost about $200 to $500. Since pre-inspections aren’t really required, you can spend that amount towards other things such as repairs or upgrades that you know will help sell your house.
PRO: A Home Inspection Gives You Time to Repair Maintenance Issues
Have a pre-inspection gives you the opportunity to fix maintenance problems ahead of time, and present buyers with a clean bill of health on the home.
If you are aware of the problems of your property and get repairs, it also presents a strong first impression to potential buyers, who may see your home in a more positive light and boost their offer.
CON: A Home Inspection Doesn’t Mean You’re in the Clear
Just because you hired a professional to inspect your home doesn’t mean that buyers won’t hire their own. This also means that the home inspection reports will not necessarily be the same. Even if you do get the pre-inspection and address the issues that come up, the buyer’s inspector might have overlooked those problems, and instead, identify other problems that need more repairs. Since buyers will typically trust their home inspector more than yours, they may still demand that these other issues be repaired, too.
A pre-inspection also obligates you to disclose all the maintenance issues found in your home. If you find out that your property has bad history, such as flooding or sewage backups, these must be disclosed since you know about it. You might not want to hide anything, but shining a light on maintenance issues can scare off buyers or complicate negotiations.
So is a pre-inspection right for you? There is no definite answer, so it pretty much boils down to whether you want to address potential problems or wait to negotiate with your buyer.
If you think that your property has a lot of issues and you don’t have the time or money to get repairs, consider selling your home to Blue Hen Homebuyers. We buy houses in any condition! Call us at 910-802-2222 today!