Pre-listing Home Inspection in Philadelphia: Pros and cons

A home inspection in Philadelphia is an unavoidable cog in the process of buying a property. This is usually sponsored by the buyer to assure themselves of the quality of the house they are about to invest in. However, sellers can conduct inspections before they put their property on the market. This is known as a pre-listing home inspection. But is it worth your time and money? Let’s find out.

Pros: Know your house’s condition and value

Perhaps the biggest advantage of a pre-listing inspection is how it lets you know your house’s condition before a buyer tells you after an inspection of their own. This allows you to compare the property’s value with other real estate listings and set an appropriate asking price.

Cons: It is an extra expense (but needed)

That said, pre-listing inspections are an extra expense for sellers. Selling a house comes with its own expenses without adding the cost of an inspection. However, it is worth mentioning that this is money you need to spend to ensure a smoother sale and avoid litigation, especially with many Philly buyers forgoing home inspections these days.

Pros: Builds trust and helps negotiations

As a seller, you probably wish to get to the closing without drawn-out negotiations. However, this can be tough to achieve in many cases. When you have a pre-listing inspection report to show prospective buyers, you are building trust and making negotiations a whole lot smoother.

Cons: Buyer’s inspection is unavoidable

While a lot of buyers in Philly forgoing their rights for a home inspection, this is still a process that many buyers still rely on to make a smart real estate move. Therefore, you can expect a buyer’s inspection even after you have given a pre-listing inspection report.

Pros: You can make timely repairs

One way you can beat the odds of a buyer’s inspection by reducing the sale price is by conducting a pre-listing inspection and making timely repairs. With a detailed inspection report in your hands, well before the property is up on the market, you can do many major repairs and sell your house for a higher price.

Cons: Unavoidable repairs and transparency

On the flip side, pre-listing inspections mean you have to make those repairs and be transparent about your findings to the buyer. This is a legal requirement during a property purchase, which can complicate things in case of a major repair.

Conclusion

Pre-listing inspections do give sellers an advantage in a buyer’s market. It allows you to build trust with buyers and reduces the time it takes to close the deal. However, it can be an extra expense, considering how buyer’s inspections are inevitable in most cases. At the end of the day, the choice is yours to make.