Should You Get Your Home Inspected Before You List It For Sale?

When dealing with buying or selling a home, we’ve always maintained that it’s a good idea to over-prepare. For example, we’ve mentioned in several of our previous articles that one smart move not everyone is smart enough to do is to get your loan pre-approval in hand before even starting to shop for a home. Why? Because if a seller has multiple offers to consider, you’ll tip the scales considerably in your favor by having proof that you’re capable of “sealing the deal” – and that’s a big plus for any seller.

But for those thinking of selling their home, thinking ahead is sage advice for them, too. And one of the smartest steps a seller can take before putting their home on the market is to obtain their own certified home pre-inspection.

Right about now, you’re saying – “Wait a minute – the buyer is going to do that anyway, aren’t they?”

Yes, that’s going to be true in nearly every real estate transaction. But there are often some savvy reasons for a seller to have it done first, and here are a few of them:

It justifies your listing price.

By laying all the cards out on the table, sellers gain bargaining power with potential buyers. When you have certifiable proof on paper of the condition and systems in your home, it makes it harder for buyers to (reasonably) lowball their offers. (And if they unreasonably lowball you, you’ll know they’re not worth spending your time and effort on.) The fact that your home has no underlying issues of concern tangibly translates to the fact that there’s no need for a price cut to be entertained.

It builds trust with potential buyers.

By offering a home with a clean bill of health, it gives buyers more assurance and helps to reduce any apprehensions they may have. Many buyers have legitimate concerns about buying a “Money Pit” – so they often start their home-buying search with that bias in mind. But when you’ve shown you have nothing to hide by sharing the details of the pre-inspection up-front, they’ll look at your home more realistically and be able to realize its true value.

It may help you move faster to closing.

Really, there’s no easier way to build trust than to show them your home has been well-maintained and you have the documents to prove it. That trust can go a long way towards achieving a smooth transaction and a seamless closing.

In some cases, however, it might make sense to skip this step and allow your buyer to pursue the inspection after an offer has been made. If you’re wondering if a home inspection would be a wise choice before putting your home on the market, it’s a good query to add to your list of “Realtor™ Interview” questions. When you’re interviewing potential Realtors™ to work with in selling your home – that answer can help give you a bit of insight to the methods that each agent will use to help sell your home – for the best price and in the shortest time possible. (Go ahead, ask us about it. You know you want to!)

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to find the perfect property for you. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or at www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!