Usually, a seller puts a home on the market and the potential buyer who is interested in the home makes an offer with the contingency of a home inspection. Every buyer should have a professional home inspection done, unless they are a professional home inspector themselves or plan on leveling the home.
But there is a good reason why a home seller should get a home inspection before they put their house on the market. Actually, there are several good reasons.
First of all, a home inspection will cost you some money to have done. A really thorough inspection can cost about $700. This may seem like a lot of money, but it could wind up saving you thousands as well as give you peace of mind.
Once you get your inspection done, you may or may not want to share it with potential buyers. Most of the time it is a good idea to share it. The potential buyers may still opt to have their own inspection done, which would reveal the same problems anyway. Having the report in advance may make your home more attractive to potential buyers, who won’t fear any hidden problems that they might be getting themselves into.
Many buyers today either don’t have the money for repairs in an as is house, or they don’t want to bother doing them.
A home inspection report will also give sellers a chance to decide what they will and will not repair or change. Often the cost of fixing something is less than the potential lost of the selling price. For example, a new oil tank may cost you $2,000 to replace or $5,000 off of your asking price.
Even if you decide that you don’t want to do any repairs, you will be able to price your house accordingly and avoid surprises later.
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