While decluttering your house in the previous step, you might have noticed a few items that needed fixing or replacing. This is a good start but it doesn’t go far enough. You should consider investing in a home inspection.
You may be thinking, Why should I hire a home inspector? It’s going to cost me money and he’s going to find more problems with my house.
That’s short-term thinking! By uncovering the defects at this stage you will have the opportunity to fix them before your buyer or the buyer’s inspector finds them. You get to control which problems you want to address, who you hire, and what materials to use. Compare this with the buyer discovering them. An allowance that usually exceeds the cost of the repair will be asked for. Correct the problems now and you could save thousands of dollars later.
Other Reasons to Inspect Your Own House:
The cost of an inspection starts at several hundred dollars but will vary depending on the age of your house, its size and location. You would be wise to work this cost into the selling price.
It’s a gamble to rely exclusively on the buyer to arrange a home inspection. Significant defects can derail the sale of your house. Even small ones are ground for re-negotiation.