07/26

Sometimes, the unexpected can be scary – especially if you haven’t kept up with home repairs.

Potential buyers and their agents will be inspecting every inch of your home with a magnifying glass. Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, why not schedule your own home inspection first?

Yes, it’s true – most sellers just allow the buyers to place the order on a home inspection during escrow. While you’d have to pay for the inspection yourself, if you choose to have one before listing your home (usually anywhere from $350 to $600), it would ultimately pay off in the long run.

Here’s why:

• After you repair and update the features of your home that the home inspector suggested, you can justify listing your home at a higher price
• Some states allow your pre-sale home improvement repairs to be deductible from the profit you make after closing
• Home inspections can help assuage any worries the buyer may have, and it might incentivize  them to put an offer down on your home sooner
• A pre-listing inspection will allow you to update repairs more leisurely than if you had a seller on the table waiting for your updates to be completed 

However, if you decide to go with a pre-listing inspection, make sure you’re ready to go through with any updates and repairs that need fixing. Sellers are legally obligated to disclose any problems brought forth by inspection.

It’s always best to sit with your real estate agent and go over your plan to sell the home. Discuss a pre-listing inspection with your agent to see if it’s a good fit for you.