In some much-wanted good news for sellers, experts have declared SW VA a sellers’ market! But, even in a seller’s market, sellers often need to improve their chances of selling and streamline the process. That’s where a pre-listing Inspection comes in.
What Is a Pre-listing Inspection?
In a triumph of descriptive language, a pre-listing inspection is exactly what it sounds like—an inspection by the people selling the home that they provide before listing the house on the market. It provides transparency, builds trust between the sellers and potential buyers, and may even help sell the home more quickly.
What Do Sellers Do with the Pre-Listing Inspection
If you’re selling your home, you’ll want to know what to expect. What will potential buyers find that may give them pause? What is your home worth?
A pre-listing inspection provides that information and more. Once you’ve hired a certified home inspector to inspect your home and received your report, you can decide what to do with it.
Sometimes, sellers may not feel the need to change anything about their home. Perhaps the house is in nearly perfect condition, or the homeowners don’t want to take the time to make repairs. Whatever the case, if they don’t want to make changes, they simply share the pre-listing inspection with realtors, who can then tell the buyers they represent what to expect.
Other times, homeowners decide to make repairs based on what the inspector found in the inspection. In that case, homeowners can maximize their profit and show that they care about the condition of the home they’re selling.
Then, they will typically call the inspector back for a re-insection to certify the homeowners made the repairs and update the inspection report.
What Do Buyers Do with the Pre-Listing Inspection?
Potential buyers have choices about what to do with Pre-listing inspection. In many cases, it streamlines the home-buying process.
Buyers can avoid looking at homes that require too many repairs, which can seem like a detriment to the seller, but in reality, it allows them to not waste time with buyers who will not ultimately buy. Alternatively, buyers can walk into a home with a certain amount of confidence that the house they’re considering purchasing is in good condition.
Naturally, many home buyers may still hire their own inspector for an independent home inspection. However, the pre-listing inspection report will give the next inspector an excellent jumping-off place to begin their inspection process.
Other times, you may find buyers rushing to buy a home who will accept the pre-listing inspection as their own and buy the house as is. Either way, the pre-listing inspection is a win-win for buyers and sellers.
What Are the Main Seller Benefits?
While some homeowners might consider a home inspection potentially detrimental, there are many benefits to pre-listing inspections.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
The inspector can help alert you to problems you didn’t know about. In some cases, fixing the issues upfront can be the difference between a smooth sales process and a slow one or even losing the sale.
Trust
Your inspection shows initiative and can help you build confidence in the home for the realtors and buyers looking at it. For those looking to make a fast purchase, it may even lead to a frictionless selling process!
Pricing and Negotiation Power
Finally, when you have your own inspection proving the good condition of your home, it allows you to justify your pricing and gives you negotiating power. Anyone can say they have a good home, but with a pre-listing inspection, you have some authority behind it.
Need an Inspection?
Detail View is here for your prel-listing inspection or other home inspection needs. Give us a call to help you get a leg up in the market.
