Home inspections are not a new trend. Homebuyers have been getting potential homes inspected for years. But now many sellers are starting to get their home inspected before they put it on the market. This can be good and it can be bad for the seller.
I'll start with the bad first. If the seller puts their home on the market and a potential buyer gets an inspection before signing any papers, he/she could possibly come across some big turn-offs. Buyers usually fall in love with a home at first sight, but they can just as easily fall out of love if there are major defects with the home. Finding these major problems will send a potential buyer packing and you end up starting all over again.
Now the good part. A pre-listing inspection will allow you to be the first to get a list of any defects (minor or major) from the inspector. You can then fix the defects at your own pace and potential buyers are a lot less likely to back out of the deal.
So the next time you are in the market to buy a new home, ask if there has been a pre-listing inspection done on it. And if you are looking to sell your home, contact me, I have contacts for great home inspectors.
