There are valid arguments both for and against getting a pre-listing home inspection. I’ll walk you through some key points, and you can decide what makes the most sense for you.
For:
* You can spot issues early and address them and know what they will cost.
* You can take your time and choose your contractors without feeling rushed.
* You can get multiple competitve quotes
* You can advertise your home as pre-inspected.
* In a buyers market you may get a favorable nod from buyers who can save money & move quicker than other homes who have not done an inspection.
Against:
* Legally you are supposed to disclose any inspections done in the last year. If you get an inspection you have to offer this inspectioin to every buyer who looks at your home for the next year. Not just if they ask if you have one you have to offer it up front without prompting.
*If you don’t agree with a defect brought up by the inspector and decide to not remedy it potential buyers may view the home negatively if all items are not repaired.
* The buyer might not like the way you chose to repair the issue and that makes them decide against making an offer.
* You can go to market sooner
* If you are in a market that favors sellers and there are significantly more buyers some buyers will waive an inspection or ignore repair issues.
Why you might want to wait for the buyer to do the inspection:
* You can tell the buyers you don’t want their inspection report. If you (or I as your agent) are never given the inspection report we don’t have anything we have to disclose for the next year.
* We can often negotiate with money versus repairs. Many times its easier to just give a monetary contribution versus doing the work. This way the buyer can hire their own contractor and do the repair the way they prefer.