Should sellers get their home inspected before listing?

I used to believe it was conflict of interest for seller's to get their own home inspected before or at the time of listing.
However, now that all the power to make or break a sale is sitting square on the home inspector, an inspector that does not know his/her job well can err on the side of caution and kill the sale rather than approving the home.

Also for an inspector who is a "God" to the buyer, failing a home for some unsubstantiated reason means a great sense of power and extra inspection jobs.

lately I have had inspectors tell sellers they had an oil tank when the home had electric heat, a minor crack in the foundation rendered the home unsuitable and a foundation engineer was hired who signed off the home was sound...so if you have an older home I am thinking the seller might spend a few hundred dollars, or ask your listing agent for the service, for an inspection that will also act as a great guarantee of the property and stop the last minute nerves over "What will the Inspector find?"

This question should be addressed from a legal and a marketing viewpoint.

There has been much debate about whether sellers should produce a document which discloses the physical conditions of their property. In Ontario, this document is known as the "Seller Property Information Statement" -SPIS-. The SPIS is not a warranty, but allows sellers to disclose any property defects they know about.

Sellers are legally obliged to disclose all material latent defects they know about, especially when these defects may turn the home uninhabitable. Indeed, when sellers know about major problems to the home that are not visible, such as mould behind the walls or a problem with the foundation, a basement or roof leak, they must disclose these problems to potential buyers. Many real estate brokerages recommend that sellers produce a SPIS but few sales representatives encourage their clients to do so. Listing agents do not do it probably because of the long string of recent cases which would never have gone to court but for the existence of a signed SPIS.

When sales representatives represent buyers they recommend their clients to hire a home inspector and also make the offer to purchase conditional on a satisfactory home inspection.

A good selling strategy is to have then your house inspected by a professional home inspector before you put it on the market and also give a copy of the report to any potential buyer. This is a savvy decision, which listing agents appreciate.

Note that your home will be competing with many other homes for sale in your neighbourhood. Let's make your home stand out from the competition. A pre-sale home inspection on your property will help accomplish this.

Finally, buyers hire, sometimes, bad home inspectors who produce incorrect reports. In that case, let your pre-sale home inspector talk to the buyer's home inspector to clear the issue.

Should I get my home inspected before listing? If you want to know:

What defects there are.
What will it cost to fix them.
What are the implications of not repairing them.
Why did they happen and will they reoccur.
What to expect in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and longer.

In order to avoid surprises that can make you lose the sale of your home...

Lina Castro,
Your Real Estate Broker
Reseau Immobilier ADRESZ
Cell: 514-458-9153
Enail: linacastrosells@hotmail.com

Welcome all your referals for Greater Montreal and Surrounder Cities, QC Canada.

If you have an older home and would like to avoid any surprises, then yes. Some realtors feel it is a selling tool towards buyers, especially if it is advertised on the for sale sign that the house has been pre-inspected.

Hello,

Having an inspection before listing your property on the market can be tricky. From the buyers perspective; some buyers may be skeptical as to why the home inspection was done prior to any purchase being made. (ie. Is the seller trying to hide something?), while other buyers may see this as one less expense and could result in a faster deal.

Having a home inspection before listing your property can be advantageous to you, the seller. The inspector may find a problem that you are unaware of. By having this knowledge before hand, you could fix this problem before any buyers see it. By doing so, you are eliminating the risk of a lower sale price.
In essence, there is no real correct answer.
Good Luck!
-Martin & Beata

That is a great idea. The sellers could then address all the inspection findings and even provide a copy of the inspection to the prospective buyer when and offer is written. In a slow market, this could be the very thing that builds buyer confidence in the home.

The home inspection is to advise the buyers of what they are buying -- and generally what they can expect for upkeep, maintenance and things that will require attention. Home inspectors are not grading your home...but are there to advise the buyer of the condition.
If you have doubts about items in your home, have a home inspector look at your home -- and you can remedy items in advance of the sale -- dealing with any issues upfront is always best.

It is best to get a home inspection before Listing when you anticipate getting multiple offers on the property. That way, the potential Buyers can view the report and then come in to offer without an inspection condition. stassone@rogers.com

I think having a home inspection by the vendor the prudent thing to do; it indicates a savvy responsible seller who is taking the iniative to ensure that there is no suprises and issues have been dealt with or don't exist. Could build confidence in the Buyer decision that this is the right house as its been well maintained.

I think it's a good idea, but everything depends upon the circumstances: where is the property? are you expecting multiple offers? etc.

From my standpoint living outside of a City, our market is not as much in demand. We do not normally recommend for the seller to have a Home Inspection done prior to listing.
There is a point about the buyer not being present during the home inspection therefore not necessarily believing that it is a true inspection.
I agree with Richard that everything depends on the circumstances.

A pre-sale home inspection works in both the seller's and buyer's favour in several ways:

The seller gains a very clear and impartial assessment of the condition of their home, a list of any items requiring immediate attention, itemization of future repairs/maintenance needed and details of the remaining life of existing systems such as heat, a/c, roof, etc.

The seller may then choose to deal with some or all of the repair items ahead of the sale which can help minimize buyer objections.

Should there be multiple offers, the inspection results can be made available to the bidders in advance of their offers so that they have a clear picture of the condition of the home and its systems.

In any case, it is helpful for the seller to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses and associated costs to remedy any deficiencies in the home so that realism can prevail during final offer negotiations.

Katherine McLaughlin
Sales Representative
Sutton Group Quantum Realty
905 822-5000
416 804-1374

Your Goals Become My Goals!

Buyers want their own home inspection. Save your money. If i see something wrong i will ask seller to fix it before we list.