Are you wondering whether it’s a good idea to get a pre-listing inspection prior to placing your home on the market?
If you’re considering selling your house and you know there may be some things that need to be fixed but you’re not sure to what extent, it’s highly recommended to obtain a preliminary inspection on your home.
As local real estate agents in the Harrisburg area, we’ve worked with several potential sellers who’ve asked, “Should I get a home inspection before listing my house?”
While the decision is ultimately yours, as a seller, there are several benefits if you choose to obtain one.
What is a Pre-Listing Home Inspection?
It’s as simple as it sounds. A pre-listing inspection is a professional review of a seller’s home to assess its condition prior to the home being listed on the market. The inspection can uncover any potential problems, big or small, that sellers may want to repair or address prior to putting the house up for sale.
The inspection is similar to what a potential buyer is entitled to request prior to purchasing the home.
Read below to discover five benefits we tell our sellers they’ll receive when they choose to get ahead of any potential problems with a pre-listing inspection.
If you’re looking for a listing agent near Harrisburg, contact us online today and we’ll connect with you about your desires for selling your home.
Or, you can request a free home equity analysis to learn how much equity you have in your home.
5 Pre-listing Inspection Benefits for Sellers
1. You’ll Understand Your Home’s Current Condition Better
As a seller, one major benefit of obtaining a pre-listing inspection is you’ll have a clearer understanding of your home’s condition.
Once you accept an offer on your home, the buyer will need to have your home appraised to determine its market value. This appraisal is required if your buyer is financing the home through a mortgage lender.
When it comes to determining your home’s appraisal value, the condition of your home is one of the largest factors in determining your home’s value, among other criteria.
By conducting a pre-listing inspection, you will understand which areas of your home are in great or good condition and which areas may need some work prior to listing your home on the market.
Another pre-listing inspection benefit you receive as an extension of this is being able to confidently let prospective buyers know that you’ve already had a professional inspect the property and you addressed any concerns that were found.
After all, most buyers may request their own inspection prior to finalizing the sales agreement. And, if there are any contingencies related to the condition of your home listed in the agreement, a buyer could potentially back out of the sales agreement and receive a refund of their earnest money deposit.
2. You Can Use The Information To Complete Your Seller’s Property Disclosure
In Pennsylvania, every seller is required by law to complete a seller’s property disclosure prior to selling their home.
A seller’s property disclosure is a document that describes all of the known conditions and updates from the house.
If it’s been a few years, or decades, since you purchased your home, you may need some time to complete the seller’s property disclosure since it asks specific questions related to your home, such as:
- What date the roof was installed?
- Has the roof been replaced or repaired during your ownership? If “yes,” were the shingles removed?
- Has the roof ever leaked during your ownership?
- Does the property have a sump pump?
- Are you aware of any water leakage, accumulation or dampness within the basement or crawl space?
- Are you aware of any termites/wood destroying insects, dry rot or pests affecting the property?
- Is your property currently under contract by a licensed pest control company?
As a seller, you can use the information found in your pre-listing inspection to help complete your seller’s property disclosure easier and with greater accuracy.
3. You Can Price Your Home More Accurately
Another pre-listing inspection benefit is having all the information necessary to help you market the great things about your home.
As you work with your listing agent, he or she will assess how the condition of your home may fare with other homes that have been recently sold in your neighborhood.
Real estate agents’ knowledge of the local market allows them to better understand how to accurately price your home so it’s in alignment with the market.
If you price your home too high, you can risk it sitting on the market for too long, which can make buyers hesitant to put in an offer.
If you’re considering selling your home and you’re interested in understanding how much equity you have in your home, contact The Erica Rawls team to request a home equity analysis.
4. You Can Use The Report’s Findings to Attract Buyers
Your home’s inspection report can also reveal many details you can market to potential buyers to make your home more attractive.
For instance, if your pre listing inspection reveals your roof has 10-15 years left before it would need to be replaced, you can highlight that in your home’s listing description. A buyer may be inclined to put in an offer if they know they can expect to have a solid roof for over a decade without incurring thousands of dollars in repairs.
Additionally, your report can uncover information about other highly important areas such as your furnace or septic system that can be disclosed to buyers during the marketing process.
5. You Have Peace of Mind Your Home is in Good Condition
One of the overlooked benefits of a pre-listing inspection is the peace of mind you have as a seller that there’s nothing wrong in your home that can prevent a buyer from closing based on your home’s condition.
Buyers can and may request their own inspection prior to closing on your home, and, sometimes, things are found during that inspection that negatively affect the sale.
If a buyer included an inspection contingency in their contract and you, as the seller, accepted it, the buyer can back out the contract based on the inspection’s findings.
Is a Septic System Inspection Required by Sellers in Pennsylvania?
A septic system inspection is NOT required by sellers in Pennsylvania, but it’s highly recommended that buyers elect to have a separate septic system inspection conducted prior to purchasing their home.
Nearly 26 percent of homes in Pennsylvania use a septic system to treat their sewage. In some cases, these houses also have a private well located on their property that supplies their drinking water.
If your home includes a septic system, as a seller, knowing the status of your septic system can attract buyers, so you should consider obtaining a separate inspection for this.
Need a Listing Agent Near Harrisburg,PA?
Contact The Erica Rawls Team
If you’re looking for a listing agent in the Harrisburg, PA area, or surrounding areas including Camp Hill, Enola, Mechanicsburg, Hummelstown or Hershey, contact The Erica Rawls Team today.
We’d love to schedule a free seller’s consultation to learn more about your needs for selling your home. We can also work with you if you need to sell your home first before buying a new one.
Contact us online or give us a call at 717-679-6339 to speak with one of our listing agents on The Erica Rawls Team.
