Are you getting ready to sell your home? Before you put it on the market, you may want to have a thorough home inspection. With all of the different steps involved in selling a property, this task can sometimes be overlooked, and homeowners are often confused about if they should get an inspection or not before selling.
Here are the pros and cons of a home inspection before selling, as well as common questions sellers have.
Pros
Be proactive about repairs
Even the most flawless of homes often have some minor issues that will need to be addressed before buyers can close. Having a pre-listing home inspection allows you to get ahead of these requests, particularly any major ones which could potentially disrupt or ruin an entire deal.
By taking action on repair requests beforehand, you can gain more control over the repairs and also save yourself a substantial amount of money. Buyers who need repairs may ask for a reduced sale price or give you limited time to make the fixes, causing you to pay extra. Do your due diligence ahead of time so that costly issues can be avoided!
Close more quickly
Even if you've already done an inspection of your home, prospective buyers will likely still want to investigate for themselves. However, having a pre-inspection can give them the added assurance that any major issues won't hinder their purchase from progressing at a quicker pace.
Sell at a higher price
From necessary repairs based on your home inspector's report to small improvements like eliminating mildew and repairing broken blinds, any upgrades you make to your house have the potential of heightening its value. Sure, you won't always get back what you put in when it comes time for sale, but making sure that your entire home is attractive to buyers will increase the likelihood that it'll sell at or even above the asking price.
Cons
Telling buyers about any large issues
In California, you're legally obligated to tell any potential buyer about a major issue with your home once you become aware. This could include significant structural problems such as cracks in the foundation or water/termite damage that would have been revealed during an inspection anyway. However, by addressing these issues proactively, buyers will be more likely to negotiate and find solutions rather than just walk away from the property altogether.
Inspections cost money
When it comes to home inspection, a reliable one for a 2,000 square feet house may
cost around $400. Of course, the more extensive the inspection and the bigger your residence is, the pricier it gets. Older homes often require more thorough evaluations, making them even higher in price. Whilst this isn’t an insurmountable sum of money in regard to real estate expenses, you should still keep it in mind when budgeting, particularly because any repair needs that are discovered will have additional costs associated.
An inspection may be more trouble than necessary
It's tough to predict what a potential purchaser will want you to fix, or manage on their own. Your opinion of the integral repairs may differ from theirs, causing you to waste time and resources on repairs that never mattered much to the buyer. In addition, who foots the bill for these fixes is always up in the air.
Not every house needs a pre-listing inspection. When buyers are facing intense competition in the market and may not even request repairs or negotiation, it might make more sense to list your property without an inspection. In such a hot seller's market that buyers will take homes "as is," skipping over an examination could save time and energy for both parties involved!
Should you get a home inspection before selling or not?
There is no "one-answer-fits-all" here. Sometimes, getting a home inspection before selling will be the choice that makes the most sense, and sometimes, it won't be. It's really a case-by-case decision. Make an informed decision with the help of an experienced real estate agent who can provide assistance based on your house’s condition and your local market trends.
Make a listing plan unique to your situation to make sure that the sale of your home goes efficiently. What works well for one seller may not be the best fit for another, but trying to understand what your best option is in the current housing market is always a winning goal.
Frequently asked questions
How do I plan a home inspection?
When searching for a dependable home inspection company, don't settle for the least expensive option. Get referrals from friends and family or research online to find your ideal choice. Be sure to read reviews as well as contact two or three companies first in order to review their fees, schedule availability, and overall services. Investing time into making an informed decision is worth it –– you can be confident that when you hire someone they'll do the job right.
Am I legally obligated to make repairs after an inspection?
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to make any repairs after an inspection, but you must inform potential buyers of any serious damage. For example, water damage, toxic hazards, pest infestations, and major structural issues your inspector has reported must be disclosed.
Can I do anything to get ready for inspection?
Ideally, your home inspection will go off without a hitch. To ensure that is the case, take some proactive steps before the inspector arrives such as offering free access to places the inspector needs to reach, like under sinks and in basements or attics, cleaning your house, and tending to easily fixable issues which may be brought up by the inspector—say broken appliances or dripping faucets.
Make Your Sale a Success
If you're ready to sell your home, Leslie Duvernay and her team of experts at Vibe Team are here to answer your questions about home inspections before selling, hosting open houses, and what price to list your house at.
Contact the Vibe Team to start your selling journey today.
