Selling your home is a decision that will lead to weeks of preparation prior to going on the market. Preparing your home for the market typically includes freshening up interior and exterior paint, enhancing landscaping, cosmetic repairs, carpet cleaning, removing clutter and staging, and general maintenance and cleaning. However, don’t forget to have your home inspected by a licensed professional home inspector and pest inspector.

Your realtor can recommend a reputable licensed professional home inspector and pest inspector. It’s a good idea to hire an inspector that is reputable and respected in the industry. Like any profession, there are inspectors that don’t do a good job, and repairs that may be overlooked can cause problems in the future.

A home inspection depends on the size of the home and prices typically range between $325 – $500 (more if the home is over 5,000 square feet). Prices may vary if the property has a crawl space, or is a farm or ranch with additional buildings and structures.

The cost of a pest inspection typically ranges from $200 – $300 and will also vary if the property has a crawl space or is a farm or ranch with additional buildings and structures.

It’s a good idea to inspect your home prior to selling because you will know what defects need to be repaired. Typically, Section 1 items that are revealed in a pest inspection should be repaired (dry rot, fungus, termites, wood boring beetles, etc.). Section 2 items are informational items (i.e. tile grout is missing or a tub enclosure needs calk, etc.). Various items may be revealed during a home inspection, however, health and safety issues are items that typically should be repaired (electrical, plumbing, trip hazards, water damage, roof leaks, foundation issues, etc.). Repairing these defects makes for a much smoother sale and the buyer will appreciate purchasing a home that does not need expensive repairs. Many sales fall apart because buyers are fearful of purchasing a home that requires a lot of repairs. It makes sense to inspect your home and make necessary repairs prior to selling so that there are no surprises once you receive an offer. Buyers typically have 10-17 days once an offer is accepted to have the home inspected and if your home is given a clean bill of health there is less of a chance of the buyer backing out of the sale.

A home inspection and pest inspection are usually sufficient. However, if your home inspector reveals a problem with your roof, chimney, electrical system, plumbing, HVAC, etc. you may want to hire a specialist to further inspect the particular issue.

Yes, if you hire an inspector or have copies of inspections from a previous transaction you are obligated to disclose the inspections to the buyer (you may be sued if you fail to disclose inspections or known material facts about your home).

Everything is negotiable in a real estate transaction. If the necessary repairs are too expensive you can lower the purchase price of your home to cover the cost of repairs or you can offer to give the buyer a credit from the proceeds of the sale at the close of escrow. You can also sell your property “As Is” and adjust the asking price based on the cost of repairs. Just remember that cool heads in a real estate transaction will prevail. Working with your realtor, the buyer, and the buyer’s realtor to resolve repairs will usually lead to a successful transaction.

Posted by:  Doug Hecker