There are quite a few things to consider when you’re ready to sell your home, and one of them is whether or not to have it inspected by a professional home inspector. It may sound like an added expense that isn’t worth it, but if you’re unsure about the condition of your home, then hiring someone to perform an inspection can help give you peace of mind when it comes time to sell your house. Here are some of the factors that go into deciding whether or not to get a home inspection when selling your home.
Yes, You Need a Home Inspection
As real estate agents, we’re frequently asked whether sellers need to get home inspections before listing their homes. Our answer is always yes—and here’s why: A home inspection (or structural or pest inspection) is an in-depth examination of your property from top to bottom. It should include all visible areas of your home—from wiring and plumbing to paint and foundation.
This ensures that you know what problems, if any, may affect your sale price before you list your house for sale. While seller-paid inspections are relatively common, buyer-paid inspections are generally not an option; if buyers want an inspection, they’ll have to pay for it themselves. Why would you want one when selling a house?
Well, because it could save you thousands of dollars. For example, say you’re getting ready to sell your house and an inspector finds a major problem with your roof. If he tells you about it now, then you can replace it before putting your house on the market—but if he waits until after closing, then there will be nothing anyone can do about it! The same goes for other issues that might be found during a home inspection.
Some Sellers Don’t Think They Need An Inspection
Sellers are sometimes inclined to skip a home inspection because they think it’s an unnecessary expense. After all, if you’re selling your home in show ready condition, why should you be required to pay for an inspection?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. If you have any sort of lender or mortgage company involved with your sale, they will almost certainly require that your house pass a professional inspection before moving forward with your financing.
This is also true of many real estate agents and Realtors as well. Because of these regulations and requirements, most sellers find themselves feeling pressured into hiring a professional inspector to perform due diligence on their property during pre-sale staging preparations.
Why you need an inspection
In some markets, real estate agents will encourage sellers to get an inspection because it makes buyers feel comfortable. But other markets have so many new-home regulations that a homeowner selling a home built within the last couple of years won’t need to have an inspection at all.
Real estate agents may also warn you that not getting an inspection could lead to a lower offer price; however, more often than not, these claims are exaggerated. If you’re thinking about selling your home and want to know if it’s necessary to get an inspection done before showing it off, ask your real estate agent what they usually do in your market.
What can happen if you don’t get an inspection
If you are selling your home and skip on an inspection, you could be responsible for problems within your home that would have been found. This can lead to legal action from previous buyers, so it’s worth it to pay for an inspection upfront.
During real estate inspections in Calgary, inspectors check everything from electrical wiring to roofing and structural integrity. Since homeowners may not know about every single potential problem in their home, it’s crucial that inspectors do their job well.
At least 80% of homes have some sort of defect big enough for buyers to back out on purchasing them if they had known about these defects beforehand—that means 20% would still sell no matter what is discovered during an inspection.
How much does it cost?
The good news is that real estate inspections aren’t as expensive as they used to be and some mortgage companies even offer reimbursement for them. While there is no set time frame for when you should get an inspection done, it’s always better to check things out sooner rather than later. Plus, if you do decide to make any repairs or renovations prior to selling your home, knowing what needs fixing can help save you money down the road. A real estate inspector will also give you peace of mind by telling you exactly what condition your house is in so potential buyers know exactly what they’re buying into. Contact your agent for guidance and info on how much a home inspection may cost and how they work.
How do I choose the right inspector for me?
A real estate inspection before listing can be tricky: do you choose one that’s really, really good and spend more money or do you find a compromise and save money in hopes that fewer problems are missed. I
n short, do you get a bargain inspector who might miss things or hire someone who charges more but is more thorough? This can all depend on what kind of house you’re selling and how much work it needs to sell for top dollar. If your house has just been freshly painted, new carpeting installed and squeaky clean, it might not need as thorough an inspection as an older home that hasn’t been touched up in years.
Whatever type of house you have, hiring inspectors will always be money well spent.
Where can I find information about local inspectors?
A great place to start is with Angie’s List. This resource helps you search for local home inspectors, read reviews, and even look at sample reports from those who have used their services.
In addition to Angie’s List, you can also search Google for home inspection [your city name] or [your city name] home inspection. Doing so should bring up sites that will allow you to do things like compare prices of local inspectors and see reviews of these services.
Is there anything else I should know before having an inspection done on my home before selling it?
Yes, you should know that there are two types of home inspections: standard and extended. Extended home inspections take longer to perform and include additional testing such as inspecting your electrical system, plumbing, and appliances. If you’re selling your home in an area where homes have been experiencing issues with these systems or appliances, it might be wise to pay for an extended inspection.
Questions about home inspections or the real estate process?
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