Should You Do a Pre-Listing Inspection?


I’ve found that pre-listing inspections are not worth it. Here’s why.

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“Should I do a pre-listing inspection?” That’s a question I often get asked. My advice is not to do it. I could put 10 inspectors in a house and get 10 different lists of things to repair.

"You don't want to waste time, energy, and money doing a pre-inspection."

The reality is that most buyers will do their own inspection. The pre-inspection is going to give you one list of around 10 items, and when the buyer comes in, they're going to pay to have another inspector who’ll give you a different list. If you had a pre-inspection list, you might be frustrated because now you’d have another list of items to repair.

I've had situations where inspectors have said that X needs to be fixed, then other inspectors come in and say that it doesn't. You need to be careful because you don't want to waste time, energy, and money doing a pre-listing inspection when the only inspection that matters is the one that the buyer is going to do. That's the one you need to deal with. However, if you have a major issue, chances are that you're going to have to fix it no matter what.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone or email. I’d love to hear from you.

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