Selling your home can be an exciting and stressful process. To ensure that the process goes smoothly, it is important to prepare thoroughly before you list your property. One way to do this is to get a home inspection done before putting your house on the market. Here are four reasons why a pre-listing home inspection should be part of your pre-sale preparation.
Negotiation Power
By getting a home inspection done prior to listing, you have more power when negotiating with potential buyers because you already know what type of condition your property is in. You won’t have any unpleasant surprises during negotiations as all parties involved will have had access to detailed information about the state of the house prior to entering into negotiations over price or other terms such as length of closing period, etc. This puts everyone on equal footing when it comes time to discuss the details related to purchasing and selling the house.
Peace of Mind
A home inspector will also give you an unbiased opinion about any repairs or improvements that need to be made before listing the house so that you can make informed decisions about what needs to be done in order to optimize the value of your home. Let’s face it, the most worrisome part of selling your home is the home inspection period. What is the inspector going to find and what is the buyer going to want to do about it? A home inspection will give you peace of mind by answering the first part of that question before you list it for sale. This can save you from costly surprises later on in the process which could delay or even halt the sale of your property. The second part of that question is removed entirely as the condition of the home is already known. NAR statistics show that a buyer purchasing a home that has had a pre-listing home inspection is less likely to have a home inspection of their own.
Accurate Pricing
Getting a pre-listing home inspection helps ensure that your asking price is accurate and reasonable based on both current conditions and any repairs or updates that may need to be completed prior to the sale. An inspector’s report can alert potential buyers about issues with the property before they make an offer, helping them decide if they are willing to pay full price or if they need additional time and money for repairs after purchase. It also gives both buyer and seller realistic expectations about what kind of condition their prospective new home is in and what kind of work may need to be done in order for it to meet their needs.
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Having a pre-listing home inspection gives you the opportunity to correct or repair any defects at a lower cost. You may be able to make some repairs yourself with a trip to a hardware store. Comparatively, most buyers requesting repairs ask for licensed contractors to do the work, thereby ensuring that you pay top dollar for those repairs. Additionally, National Association of Realtor statistics shows that pre-inspected homes generate more showings than homes that have not been pre-inspected and that they also sell at or above the asking price more often. This translates into more dollars in your pocket.
A pre-listing home inspection gives you peace of mind by ensuring there are no major problems with your property before it’s listed for sale, allows for accurate pricing based on existing conditions, provides negotiation power throughout the entire sales process, and makes you more money. If you’re thinking about selling your home, having a thorough pre-listing home inspection should definitely be part of your preparation plan! Homeowners who invest in a pre-listing home inspection will have greater confidence when preparing their homes for listing as well as when negotiating with prospective buyers down the line. Investing in a professional home inspection can help make sure everything goes smoothly when selling one’s most valuable asset—their own home.
