Benefits of a Seller’s/ Pre-Listing Inspection
Many seller’s might not realize that they have the option to get a pre-listing home inspection – a home inspection that they pay for themselves before ever putting their house on the market.
In general, the home buyer adds the completion of a successful home inspection as a contingency to an offer on a home. Once buyers conduct the inspection, they have the power to negotiate with the seller regarding who pays for any necessary repairs, and they even have the power to walk away from the deal altogether.
When sellers have a pre-listing home inspection, they can get ahead of issues a buyer might find in the home and reduce the likelihood a deal will fall through.
How a Pre Listing Inspection Benefits Sellers
1. It Allows the Seller to Make Repairs Before Listing the Home
If a seller has a pre listing inspection, he or she will then be aware of every issue present in the home and can make repairs to make it easier to sell. InterNACHI explains that making repairs before listing a home can help it show better.
If the seller chooses not to make the repairs, he or she can at least be aware of issues present in the home, which allows him or her to fully disclose this information to potential buyers. It also gives the seller more leverage during negotiations because he or she will not be unprepared.
InterNACHI also says sellers may be able to convince buyers to waive their home inspection contingency if the seller presents them with a copy of the pre-listing inspection.
2. It Ensures a Smoother, More Efficient Transaction
When issues are discovered during a pre-listing inspection, the seller can either have them fixed ahead of putting the home on the market or choose to disclose the issues to potential buyers. Either choice will make the home sell faster because it will prevent the buyer and seller from becoming entangled in long negotiations after the buyer has an inspection.
Because the issues have been disclosed ahead of time, the buyer will not be surprised by anything and will be less likely to walk away or demand a lower price for the home. Homes that provide buyers with the results of a pre-listing inspection give the buyer the opportunity to decide well in advance if he or she wants to purchase a home despite its issues.
3. It Helps the Seller and His or Her Agent More Accurately Price the Home
Sellers who do not wish to fix the issues revealed during a pre-listing inspection can factor the repair costs into the asking price of the home and explain to buyers that while the home has certain issues, they will be getting it for a lower price as a result. Conversely, sellers who do decide to make repairs or who come up with a clean home inspection can ask buyers for more money.
4. It Saves the Seller Money
When issues are discovered during a buyer-initiated home inspection, the buyer and seller will enter into negotiations to determine who will cover the costs of repairs. In general, buyers tend to significantly overestimate the costs of these repairs, and the seller loses far more money than he or she would have paid to have completed the repairs before listing the home.
5. It Makes the Seller More Trustworthy
InterNACHI called a pre-listing inspection “the ultimate gesture in forthrightness on the part of the seller.” By disclosing any issues in advance, the buyers can feel confident they are making a deal with a trustworthy person who is not trying to hide anything.
What Do Home Inspectors Look For?
Home inspectors have a long, thorough list of things to check in the home. Our job as an inspector is to find defects and will concentrate on the health and safety concerns first followed by major defects.
There are seven major things that home inspectors look for:
- Water Damage
- Structural Issues
- Old/Damaged Roof
- Damaged Electrical System
- Plumbing Problems
- Insect and Pest Infestation
- Issues with the HVAC System
Do Home Inspectors Offer Additional Services?
Our Home Inspection Company offers an array of ancillary services to provide our customers the very best inspection possible. Our services have the latest cutting edge technology and with these services gives us a leg up on the competition. Our Ancillary Services are comprised of the following:
- FLIR Thermal imaging
- Garage Inspection
- Home Energy Audit
- Mold Inspection
- Pool and Spa Inspection
- Sewer Scope Inspection
- Termite Inspection
Are Home Inspectors Required to be Trained and Certified?
In the state of Minnesota, Home Inspectors do not have to be certified to be a home inspector. This is where we let our customer be very aware that when they are shopping around to find their home inspector, they should be trained and certified. You may be able to find an inspector for cheaper, but you pay for what you get. You run the risk of not getting the proper home inspection and could end up making a huge financial mistake.
All of our Home Inspectors are InterNACHI certified and trained. Becoming a certified Home Inspector takes hundreds of hours of trainings, classes and education. Our vision in our company is to be able to provide our customers with the best and knowledge-filled inspection and report.
That’s How Home Inspections Work
Home inspections are meant to keep homeowners safe. They provide you ample amount of information of the current state of the home and allows you to be aware of any defects or problems that you may not know about. A pre-listing inspection might cost the seller a few hundred dollars, but it could save him or her thousands.
Even more, it will save the seller tons of time and stress, and it will help the agent provide the best possible customer service. If you’d like to know more about how a home inspection works and how you can benefit from our home inspections, give us a call today!