Most home sales are contingent upon a home inspection. With that comes a hint of the unknown that remains until the inspection is complete and the contingency is satisfied.
As a homebuyer, of course, you have a choice. Some REALTORs might recommend that you waive the inspection, because to a potential seller—particularly with an older house—waiving that inspection requirement in a competitive market often can move your offer above most others. We at D.C. Region Real Estate will NEVER recommend you waive the inspection. Remember that an inspection will give you peace of mind as a buyer—and even as a seller.
Home inspector Mark Linebaugh, president of Homemark Inc., is one of our most trusted in the greater D.C. area. We thought he might better prepare you on the issue of home inspections—whether you’re a buyer or seller. In this ever-growing series, we hope to familiarize you with the inspection process, and with Mark’s help, provide you some tools that might put you ahead of the rest when it comes to home inspections.
While we will address issues important to both buyers and sellers, this post will begin with some tips for future home sellers.
Mark notes that many potential sellers meet inspection uncertainty head-on and simply order their own pre-listing home inspection. “If you hire [an inspector] who is thorough to a fault, he or she can give you a good idea what would be found and addressed by the buyer’s home inspector,” Mark says. “Not only does it give the seller time to address any problems found before they list the house … it also is a tool they can use to show the potential buyers that they have taken due diligence to eliminate any and all issues prior to selling.”
A pre-listing inspection will address the stress and annoyance that sellers often experience when buyers present a long list of repair items. By eliminating repair items ahead of time, a pre-listing inspection also reduces the risk that a buyer will use the inspection renegotiate the price or decide to walk.
This will not necessarily keep buyers from hiring their own inspector! We would recommend it to our buyers, so don’t take it personally. Just remember, even if your inspector covers every nook and cranny of your home and you have everything repaired before entering the market, this does not mean another inspector won’t find anything. But you are certainly likely to have fewer inspection-related headaches, and maybe none at all.
In the end, a pre-listing inspection can emphasize your interest in the quality of your home, while helping avoid delays before closing.
Don’t miss Part 2 of our home inspection series as Mark discusses structural issues. It’s information you can use.
