When buying a home, it is customary to order a home inspection from a third-party inspector. This protects the buyer from unknowingly purchasing a home with serious problems. As a seller, you will also benefit from ordering a pre-listing inspection. Here are 5 ways that a pre-listing inspection can help you have a successful home sale.
Prepare to List Your Home
Order a home inspection as one of the first steps once you’ve decided that you want to sell your home. Learning about the condition of your home and its benefits and drawbacks gives you an advantage as a seller. You can highlight the desirable parts of your home and address any issues so that it will impress more potential buyers.
A Pre-Listing Inspection Helps You Prioritize Repairs
If you are planning to sell your home, you may have set aside some funds to fix it up first. You likely have upgrades and repairs in mind, but until you get a professional inspection you won’t know which are the most pressing. An inspection report gives insight on where to focus your efforts to get top dollar and a smooth sale for your property.
Prevent Surprises Before Closing with a Pre-Listing Inspection
When you do get an offer on your home and the buyer has a professional home inspection, the last thing you want is to see any surprise problems in the report. By having a pre-listing inspection first, you reduce the chances of this possibility. Any issues will be known in advance and you’ll have the opportunity to make repairs or disclose what you know to the potential buyer.
Use a Favorable Report as a Marketing Tool
In a best-case scenario, your pre-listing inspection report reveals no major problems. Not only can you highlight the home’s great condition in the listing, but you can even share the inspection report with potential buyers. This increases trust between the buyer and seller. Your buyer may even choose to forgo their inspection to speed the process along.
Less Room for Negotiation
It’s common for negotiations to ensue once the buyer has received their inspection report. They may discover that the roof is at the end of its lifespan and ask to take $10,000 off the list price. With a pre-listing inspection, this is less likely to happen. If you’ve been straightforward about the home’s condition and priced your home accordingly, the buyer shouldn’t have a reason to renegotiate the deal.
20/20 Home Inspection offers pre-listing home inspections in Coastal New Jersey. If you’re selling a home, contact us to request an appointment.