What to Look for in a Pre-Sale Home Inspection

What to Look for in a Pre-Sale Home Inspection

The pre-sale home inspection is an inevitable part of the real estate transaction process. Few banks or lenders will close on a deal without one. However, it is important to understand that not all pre-sale home inspections (or inspectors) are created equally. This is one reason that so many lenders provide buyers and sellers with an approved list of local home inspection firms and professionals.

When it is time for you to prepare for your pre-sale home inspection, here are a few essential ingredients you should be sure are taken under consideration.

Plan Ahead
One of the biggest mistakes in pre-sale home inspections is waiting until the very last minute to have them performed. When you consider the fact that surprises that arise over the course of a home inspection can easily translate into deal breakers and it just makes sense to provide plenty of padding when it comes to the timing factor.

Pre-sale home inspections pay off not just for the buyer, but for the seller as well, since this is an opportunity to tie off any lose ends or concerns in regards to the property itself.

Everything, In Writing
When paying for a pre-sale home inspection, it is important that you get everything down in writing, with careful, spelled-out details that leave nothing up to question or the imagination. Most inspectors will provide you with an on-site analysis, followed up with a printed and signed, several-page-thick document that backs up what was discussed during the face-to-face interview.

Not only does this work to point out any problem areas that will require immediate attention, it also gives the buyer less wiggle room in the negotiations when it becomes clear that all areas of concern have already be analyzed and given the green light.

Make Sure Your Inspector is Lender Approved
Your real estate lender will definitely want to have a say-so in which home inspection service providers you will use. In many cases, this will entail working from a pre-approved list of professionals in your area who have established a relationship with your lender.

If you are thinking of hiring your own, make sure that they are approved before you invest any funds, since few are refundable.