Cons of a Pre-Listing Home Inspection
In my previous blog, I explained to you how a pre-listing home inspection can enhance your home selling process. With pros comes the cons. Many people wonder what are the drawbacks of having a home inspection before you put your home up for sale. Let’s discuss them as well:
The cost of the pre-listing inspection
It is very much obvious that the pre-listing inspection will not be free. Also, it doesn’t mean that if you got your pre-listing home inspection done, then, the buyer wouldn’t go through it. For many sellers, the pre-listing inspection costs will come out of their pocket. The cost will be arguably worth it for the profits it offers, but some sellers may not have the funds to cover the inspection. Generally, the home inspection would cost you anywhere between $400- $1000. Moreover, there are other things that may cost you additionally. For instance, checking the presence of radon, both in air and water, testing if any mold is present in the home and checking the presence of lead paint.
Disclosure laws expect you to disclose any issues to buyer
If there are issues that come under the disclosure laws of Howard, County after the home inspection, according to the laws, you will need to mention those problems to the buyer.
If you have the budget to make the repairs, disclosure won’t be a problem. But, if you can’t make the required repairs, the defects detected in the home inspection can make it difficult for you to sell the home. It varies tremendously from state to state what you want to disclose to your buyer. Some states require full disclosure whereas others don’t. However, the seller must answer the buyer’s questions accurately. Lying is not an option! On the other hand, an agent must make a buyer aware of any problem they know exists with a home.
Yes, Of course, by doing a pre-listing home inspection, you will come to know about a significant percentage of problems. If your state demands disclosure, you now must let the buyer in on these issues.
There are always different opinions by different people. Some would argue, who cares, as they will find out anyhow once they do their inspection.
Be ready for two inspections of your home
The later inspection would not be too worrisome if you have had a pre-listing inspection and made appropriate repairs before listing your home for sale. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that you will still need to go through the buyer’s inspection despite of whether you got a pre-listing inspection or not.
While a home inspection can be one of the most substantial obstacles to a thriving sale, it makes sense that the listing agent should be at the home inspection. When you hire a professional real estate agent, all your worries will be gone! There will be someone who is with you at every step of the way. Your real estate agent should be your eyes and ears.