If you’re planning on selling a home in the Orlando, FL area, pre-purchase home inspections are a very good idea!  While theoretically either party, buyer or seller, can ask for an inspection, this really isn’t something you should wait for the buyer to ask for.  As a seller, getting an inspection done early will give you a lot of options, and can potentially help you make a lot more money on your sale.

If you haven’t worked with a company providing pre-purchase home inspections before, there’s a lot to cover.  So, we put together this guide to provide the most important information you need to know!

I. How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost?

Here’s the good news:  home inspections don’t cost much.  Typically, they’re a few hundred dollars, anywhere between $200-$400.  The price mostly depends on how large the house is, but it’s genuinely rare for them to go much over $400 except for the biggest of properties.

Compared to the average selling price of a home, this is a tiny amount to spend.

They also don’t take very long – usually just a few hours.  They can almost always be done in a single afternoon, so the inconvenience is minimized as well.

II. What’s Covered in Pre-Purchase Home Inspections?

Fundamentally, pre-purchase home inspections are no different than any other kind of home inspection. They just take place before a sale. While every inspector will have slightly different standards and methods of inspection, they all cover the same areas and tend to arrive at very similar conclusions.

A home inspection will typically include:

  • Basements
  • Attics
  • Crawl spaces
  • Electrical systems and wiring
  • Plumbing systems
  • The HVAC system
  • Foundations
  • Ceilings, walls, and floors
  • Appliances
  • Roofing condition
  • Windows & doors

One thing to keep in mind is that the inspector is looking for health and safety problems, not aesthetic issues.  So matters such as peeling paint or bad siding won’t be brought up in the inspection, as long as they aren’t a safety concern.  This doesn’t mean such problems should be ignored; they just aren’t relevant to a home inspection.

On the other hand, issues such as cracks, leaks, bad wiring, or problems with major appliances such as your water heater will absolutely be noted.  

III.  Why Pay for Pre-Purchase Home Inspections?

Sure, a home inspection costs (a little) money, but it can easily pay off in numerous ways.  This is why we typically recommend home sellers have home inspections done before putting their house on the market.

Some of the biggest reasons for an inspection include:

1 – Taking care of major repair problems

How much work you put into fixing up your home before it goes on sale is largely up to you – but there are certain matters that really should be addressed before it’s listed.  For example, problems with the wiring or plumbing that would prevent the home from passing inspection.  Or major problems with the roof or walls that would be a deterrent to buyers.  

Also, if there is mold in your home – even a small amount – you absolutely want to take care of it ASAP.  Mold will be an instant turn-off for many buyers, and in worst-case scenarios, it can be genuinely dangerous for residents.

These are issues you’d want to take care of before putting the house up for sale since they can be true deal-breakers for buyers.

2 – Reducing the buyers’ ability to negotiate

Every problem with your home will be seen by the buyer and\or their agent as an opportunity to negotiate – and that usually means a lowered selling price.  Bad roof?  The price goes down.  Cracked walls?  The price goes down.  Subpar wiring?  The price goes down.  Mold?  The price goes way down.  

In some cases, the price may go down for more than what the problems would cost to fix, especially in situations where the problems are genuinely dangerous.  Taking care of the problems beforehand will leave you in a superior negotiating position. 

3 – Improving time to sale

It’s not just about selling your house for a certain price – it’s about selling it in a reasonable amount of time.  A home that sits on the market for weeks or months will only accumulate additional costs for maintenance and upkeep.  A long time on-market without selling may even be seen as a bad thing by itself.  “If no one’s buying, there must be something wrong with it!”  

Being aware of these issues and taking care of them beforehand will usually greatly speed up the selling process.  When time is money, this can often offset the price of repairs.

4 – Determining a good price point

Sometimes you might not be exactly sure what the optimal price point on your property is.  Pre-purchase home inspections give you a lot of genuinely useful information.  Is it worth fixing the roof?  Should you be concerned about the state of the walls?  An inspector – especially in conjunction with an experienced agent – can help you weigh your options.  You can prioritize repairs that will impede sales while letting stuff slide that you’re OK taking a hit on, or where the repairs would cost more than you’d get back.

IV. Are There Any Reasons Not to Have an Inspection?

There are a few situations where you, as a seller, might not want to have an inspection done before a sale.  They’re rare but still worth mentioning.

1 – You don’t want to disclose issues

A seller is legally required to disclose known issues with a property.  This means that if your inspection turned up unpleasant surprises – such as a cracked foundation – you wouldn’t be able to pretend there’s no problem.  When it comes to selling a house, particularly one you suspect has problems, occasionally ignorance really is bliss.

2 – You’re in a fast-selling area

Some areas are so in-demand that there are always buyers looking to invest, almost regardless of the condition of the property.  While this is pretty rare, if you happen to find yourself in such a situation, there’d be no reason to pay for an inspection or upgrades.

3 – You know the property is in good shape

Is the home recently constructed?  Have you already done a round of home improvement upgrades lately?  If you genuinely know the house is in good condition, without any major problems, pre-purchase home inspections would probably be a waste of money.

4 – You’re dumping the property as a “fixer-upper”

Maybe you have a problematic property that you simply want to get rid of, and don’t want to spend any extra money on it, even if that means a lowered selling price.  In this case, there’s definitely no reason for an inspection.  Let the buyer beware, as they say.

Improve Your Selling Position with Pro Inspect Solutions

We are one of the top providers of pre-purchase home inspections in the Orlando, FL, area.  We have years of experience and state-of-the-art inspection equipment, allowing us to quickly and accurately judge both the condition and value of a property.  Our expertise also allows us to recommend practical options for repairs and upgrades, to help maximize the selling price of your house.

Click here to schedule an appointment!