As inspection reports on the same home often vary from home inspector to home inspector, I have consistently been against a pre-inspection when selling your home. I believed buyers should conduct their due diligence at their own expense.
I am listing a La Crescenta fixer which has been vacant for a while. There are plumbing leaks, and the water is turned off. If you look at the home, you can assume that just about everything needs to be tended to or updated. However, in this heated seller’s market, I don’t want to negotiate repairs or credits after the buyer’s inspection. So should you do a pre-inspection when selling?
As buyers sometimes use overinflated estimates when negotiating inspection repairs, it’s wise for home sellers to have all of the facts. When I suspect a foundation issue, I might order a seismic inspection from a reputable company prior to putting the home on the market. Typically I also order the termite report as soon as I take a listing.
I have a different approach for this La Crescenta listing. I have a termite inspection, an estimate for a copper re-pipe, and a pre-inspection report. This will be disclosed to the buyer and the buyer will have an opportunity to hire their own inspector. I believe this strategy will work best for this particular listing.
When selling your home, remember every situation is different. It’s important to hire a Realtor who doesn’t have a one size fits all marketing strategy.
Related Post: Is waiving the inspection a good idea?
