When people are in the process of selling their home and they finally find a (serious) potential buyer, the initial excitement can quickly turn to dread when they remember what comes next: the home inspection. Given their potential to make or break a deal, there’s a lot riding on that crucial visit. That’s why, instead of leaving it to chance, you might want to have your home inspected before you put it on the market. Here’s why.
Why sellers should consider a home inspection
No one likes to be caught off-guard—especially during times of high stress, like when you’re selling your home. You can come so close to getting an offer, and then one unfavorable inspection later, and you’re back at square one. That’s why some professional home inspectors advise sellers to get their own inspection, before putting the property on the market.
We’re going to overlook the fact that following their advice means more money and work for them, and focus on how it could end up saving you money and work by spotting minor problems and addressing them before they become something more serious (and expensive).
And speaking of costs, according to HomeAdvisor.com, a typical home inspection runs from $279 to $399, so you’ll also need to figure out if it’s in your budget.
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“If there are issues like mold, it is best to be proactive and have an inspection before the house is put on the market to determine whether it needs to be remediated beforehand,” Joe Cummins, VP of technical services at HouseMaster and training director at the National Institute of Building Inspectors (NIBI) told BobVila.com in a recent interview.
Be sure to get documentation of the inspection to show potential buyers—but don’t be surprised if they want to do their own. If that’s the case, at least you’ll have had the opportunity to make any necessary improvements ahead of time.
