Should a seller do a home inspection when they list? This question crops up quite a bit from sellers.

Overall, I’d say the answer was yes, unless it’s brand new or there’s some other reason why defects wouldn’t crop up. There are three reasons why we encourage people to do inspections:

  1. To save money. It seems counterintuitive to spend money on an inspection in order to save money. However, sometimes the inspection comes through and all of the sudden you’re pushing up against closing dates or some other plans, and things still need to be done. Those fixes are done in a hurry, or a seller ends up crediting money to a buyer to get them done. If you do it ahead of time, it shows that you’re proactive about taking care of a home that you’re aware of the condition of the home.
  2. It helps you close faster because a lot of the time, an appraisal won’t even get ordered for financing until after the home inspection is completed. If you can make the inspection period short, it will help shorten the time span between you and the close, as well as take away the contingency sooner.
  3. It can save a sale. Sometimes people see certain issues on an inspection and run for the hills. Having the inspection done in time to get those problems fixed can sometimes be the difference between a sale and a huge disappointment.
Even if you don’t do the inspection, it can help to give your seller’s disclosure statement.

Even if you don’t do the inspection, it can help to give your seller’s disclosure statement. That way, whatever issues you’ve discovered over time are made known during the sales negotiation, not afterward, which would open up the opportunity for renegotiation.

Thank you for the great question—I hope this answer was helpful. If you have any additional questions about this or other topics, always feel free to contact us by phone or email. We’d love to help you out.