Pre Listing Inspection
Pre-Listing Inspection:
As a homeowner, you’re now getting ready to list your home when your realtor recommends you do a pre-listing inspection. So, why would you want to know what’s wrong with your home just when you are about to sell it? Because it could affect your sale price, your potential negotiations with a home buyer, and it could save you money in the long run. As Suffolk County, NY and Nassau County, NY area home inspection company with years of experience, we think it’s always a good idea to do a pre-listing home inspection!
Homeowners we know for whom we’ve conducted a pre-listing inspection always tell us how grateful they are to have ordered one! While you will need to pay for a pre-listing inspection (some real estate agents are willing to pay for it), a pre-listing inspection will inspect all of your home’s accessible areas from top to bottom. The inspection could uncover previously unknown issues with your home. And, heading into listing your home, you’d rather be the one to uncover the issues such as termites instead of a potential buyer. A serious issue uncovered by a buyer during the due diligence period could actually derail their offer and the entire transaction.
REASONS FOR A PRE-LISTING HOME INSPECTION:
1. It provides full transparency both for you as the seller and for the buyer.
2. It offers you the opportunity to address any issues uncovered prior to listing your home.
3. A pre-listing inspection can help you to set the sale price accordingly knowing your home is in top shop for listing. In some cases, the seller might decide not to address the issues but to provide full disclosure to the buyer allowing them to address the issues.
4. Full disclosure on issues addressed or left for the buyer allows for no surprises during the final negotiations. It also shows a potential buyer that you have nothing to hide easing their concerns.
5. In some states, pre-listing inspections are par for the course and expected by savvy buyers in competitive markets. Although most buyers will still do their own inspections, they are able to review a pre-listing inspection before they even make an offer. It saves times for both sides.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
A pre-listing home inspection is like any other of our inspections. We usually recommend beginning with the basic home inspection and proceeding from there. It will evaluate both the interiors and exteriors of your home and everything in between including the home’s major systems such as electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. Some sellers will also order some of our specialty testing such as septic/cesspool or mold or water. Usually the individual circumstances of the home, the property, and the owner’s lifestyle can help guide the decision on which, if any, additional specialty tests should be conducted. For example, if our inspector finds water incursion somewhere in the home, the homeowner may decide to order mold testing.
We will work with the homeowner to ensure they are comfortable moving toward listing their home. Our reports will detail any issues found, ideas and recommendations for potential remediation, and a recommended time table of urgency for each issue uncovered.
If you are planning to list your home in the Suffolk County and Nassau County, NY area, please contact us today for an appointment and initial discussion!