Selling? Reason to Get a Pre-Inspection

by Rudden|Bobruska Team 03/29/2020

Photo by Michal Jarmoluk via Pixabay

Most buyers understand the importance of getting a home inspection before purchasing a property. But did you know that some sellers are also opting to invest in a pre-inspection? These savvy homeowners realize that a pre-inspection can be a very helpful tool when it comes time to market their houses. If you're thinking about putting your property on the market, you might want to consider following their lead. The following are four ways that a pre-home inspection could benefit you during the sale of your house.

To Avoid Surprises

Imagine this scenario: You thought that your house was as good as sold, but then the buyer's home inspection reveals a major defect. The problem is worrisome enough that your buyer decides to back out of their sales contract. Now, you're having to put your house back on the market. If you had opted for a pre-inspection, chances are high that your inspector would have discovered the defect and you could have addressed it before listing your property.

Could Help with Your Sales Budget

Getting a pre-inspection report can also help you determine the best way to spend your money while readying your house for the market. For example, you may be thinking of paying to professionally stage your home. But if a pre-inspection turns up several defects that could impede the sale of your house, it would make more sense to channel your money towards necessary repairs.

To Save Money on Repairs

Buyers often add a clause in their sales contract that requires any issues discovered during their home inspection -- even minor ones -- to be repaired by a professional contractor. This can often be unnecessarily expensive. A running toilet, for instance, discovered during a pre-inspection can usually be fixed easily, cheaply and satisfactorily to code by a handyman or even by the homeowner. But a buyer may require the seller to use a plumbing contractor to fix the very same problem if it is written up in their home inspector's report.

Help You Determine Your Sales Price

A pre-inspection report can also provide you and your agent with important information that can help you to accurately price your property. If, for example, your house has some minor issues, such as an aging roof, that you don't want to fix, you can decide to price your home accordingly.

Cons

While there are many positive reasons for having a pre-inspection performed on your home, there are some cons, too, including:

  • A pre-inspection typically costs several hundred dollars
  • You may be obligated to disclose any defects discovered during the pre-inspection to potential buyers

If you're thinking about selling or buying a home, contact me. I would love to talk to you about my services and how I can help you better navigate the home buying or selling process.

About the Author
Author

Rudden|Bobruska Team

Gary Rudden, Lisa Rudden, and Nick Bobruska  

RUDDEN BOBRUSKA TEAM

What sets your team apart from other real estate teams?

There is no team out in the market that offers what we do. All of us are Realtors, but

we each have specialized roles, which make our team so unique!

After decades of living and selling real estate in the DMV, we have established

ourselves as one of the top real estate teams with our market expertise and

cutting-edge technology. Our savvy high-tech marketing is on every website

and social media source. We have a huge network with other top agents, which

helps to premarket homes and discover homes for buyers before they reach the

open market. Our services include professional in-house staging services, broker

expertise in negotiating and navigating contracts, and buyer representation in all

price ranges. Each client has different needs and we create a marketing plan based

on those needs.

Our most distinct feature is our in-house construction and renovation team. We

are literally a full-service, one-stop shop when selling or buying a home!

How does the in-house construction and renovation team work?

All work is managed and completed through our licensed and bonded construction

crew. No need to call outside contractors. We are like “HGTV,” but we just don’t

have a show! Whether it’s a small makeover or a major renovation, we do it all. Our

sellers love this aspect of our team because we make preparing your home for the

market so seamless. Our buyers love the advice and insight we can give for future

renovations and repairs.

Having a licensed Maryland Home Improvement contractor as part of our team

along with the knowledge, experience, commitment and services that we offer, truly

puts our team as a vanguard in the real estate industry.