Sellers Pre-Listing
Home Inspection

Why get a home inspection?

Home inspections are a major part of real estate transactions. They provide an opportunity for sellers to identify any major issues with a home before listing and pricing their property. But what exactly are home inspections? And how does one prepare for one? Read on and find out.

Inspections usually take place right after the seller accepts an offer from the buyer. However, wise home-owners are also ordering inspections so that they can make any needed repairs prior to negotiations or sometimes it simply allows the buyers to price their home properly. Depending on the size and age of the house, the average sellers’s home inspection will take approximately one hour per 1,000 square feet of house, and when all is done, the inspector will be available to answer any immediate questions or concerns. The average inspection takes approximately 2-4 hours.

Scheduling a home inspection can usually be done in less than five minutes by either calling the home inspector company’s number and having the property information available, or by using the online inspection request form found on this page.

A seller will usually arrange for a pre-listing inspection on their own. These are known as a “Seller’s Home Inspection.”

What are the benefits of our San Diego pre-listing home inspection?

A seller’s home inspection is a relatively inexpensive way of determining the current condition of a property before listing it.

The home inspector is similar to a general practitioner in that he has a broad knowledge base on many of the systems and components that comprise the average house. He or she is trained to assess the overall condition of most if not all of these major components and either demonstrate they’re in good working order, or in some cases, in need of further review by a specialist.

They will take pictures or video clips of any issues that might affect the value or function of the house such as leaks, mold, electrical issues and any potential structural damage.

What does a home inspection include?

The inspector will also test various components of the home’s electric wiring, the homes appliances, the visible plumbing systems, the condition and age of the major systems such as HVAC and water heaters. Once they assess these major items, the condition is explained verbally and in writing to the buyer and the buyer’s agent.

When should a home seller get a home inspection?

Typically the “pre-listing” home inspection is scheduled “prior to” listing the home for sale, allowing enough time for needed repairs from a qualified contractor.

Protect Yourself by knowing the condition of your home by obtaining an independent Home Inspection prior to setting your sales price.

Home sellers can protect themselves from unknown problems being discovered during closing. This not only saves time, but often can save quite a bit of money as well.  Many home buyers are now including a home inspection contingency in the purchase offer, which means that if any grave issues are found during an inspection process, they have the right to cancel the agreement or, they can negotiate on repairs.

The home inspector will present all of these findings to you, and once compiled along with any other inspections that may have been done on the property, like termite or pool inspections [and an appraisal], the seller will have a meaningful understanding of the current condition of the property and will then be best suited to make an informed decision on how to proceed.

Often times the issues are smaller and the home inspector may also provide advice for solving some issues.  If there is a significant issues or defect, the seller can usually adjust their listing price to include room for negotiating, or simply make adjustments knowing the true value and cost of things ahead.

What to expect from the report

After your buyer home inspection, you’ll receive an walk through and verbal overview. During this time [or any time after receiving your report] our home inspectors may also address any of your questions or concerns regarding different items you’ve noted.

Then later, usually within 24 hours, you’ll receive a much more detailed and objective written report listing what is in acceptable and in good condition, but also it will highlight and identify any defects within specific systems or their components as observed by our team of IN-DEPTH Home Inspectors.

After an inspection, can a buyer back out?

Yes, most likely they can. But it has to be written in your offer. Remember, no house is perfect. You should expect the unexpected and be prepared to find a few things in the report that you had not considered.

If the defect/item is severe enough, the buyer can usually receive their deposit back in full.  If they choose to cancel the contract with the seller within the inspection period, which typically lasts for around 10 days, then the agent will need to submit the proper paperwork within the contingency period.

As 10 days is the usual, it’s not a lot of time. Therefore experts recommend that sellers take advantage of a pre-listing inspection.

More often then not, the problems uncovered are not a deal breaker and most people are usually happy with the findings of the inspection.

Sellers may be willing to pay for repairs if they’re needed. It can also happen that the buyer and seller agree not only on who pays, but how much, or what kind of credit is given in lieu of payment towards the repairs.

A Seller’s Pre-Listing Home Inspection is a wise choice. Give us a call and see how we can help.