Should you get your home inspected before you list it for sale? I get asked this question all the time. My answer is usually going to be yes. Think of it as “Carfax-ing” your house (you know, that website that gives you a vehicle’s history). A home inspection will provide plenty of information about the house, which you can give to the buyer to make them more comfortable.
There are two major advantages to getting a home inspection ahead of listing:
1. Eliminates delays. Once you’re in escrow and need to close, the buyer only has so much time to do their inspection. When an issue comes up, you may only have a couple of days to tell them whether you’ll do the repairs or provide a credit for them. If you identify that problem ahead of time, this is much less stressful, and you can get better estimates for what the repairs might cost.
2. Saves you money. Again, if you know the issue ahead of time, you aren’t rushed to get estimates for the repairs, and you’ll have more time to fix the problem. For example, mending a dry rot issue may be a $5,000 repair in the eyes of the buyer, but you could find a good company to help for maybe $1,000.
If you have questions about home inspections or any other real estate matter, please call or text me. I would love to help you.
