Should I Get a Pre-Inspection When Selling My Home?
In many cases, I recommend sellers have an inspection before listing their home. Every inspection will find repair items, even in the most meticulously maintained homes, and it is beneficial to know about any issues in advance. Inspection prices vary by age and size of home, but you can expect to spend $400-$900 for an inspection.
For the items the inspection turns up, sellers have three options: They can price repairs into their asking price. They can offer the buyer a credit for the repairs. Or they can take care of the repair items themselves before listing.
When a pre-inspection is completed, the seller provides the inspection report to all potential buyers. Buyers tend to find this information very helpful, and it can be a significant factor in deciding whether to make an offer and how strong of an offer to make.
Once under contract, the buyer might still do their own inspection, and it will almost certainly identify at least a few things that the seller’s inspection did not. However, since the buyer knew about some repair items before making their offer, the seller will typically not negotiate repairs or credits for any items disclosed on the original report.
One of the most stressful scenarios for both buyers and sellers is when a buyer’s inspection comes back with major deficiencies and recommendations to consult with specialty contractors. The negotiations can be difficult and sometimes an acceptable agreement isn’t reached. Both buyer and seller lose valuable time and money! It’s helpful to get in front of any potential road blockers.
It is always up to each seller to decide whether they will have an inspection prior to listing. Though there are certainly times when it might not make sense to do a pre-inspection, most of the time pre-inspections are a great tool for presenting your home in the best light possible to potential buyers!
Reach out for my list of trusted inspectors in the Austin area and to talk through whether a pre-inspection is right for your situation.