Seller’s/Pre-Listing Home Inspections.  If you are thinking about listing your home, it is important to understand that, eventually a buyer’s inspector will be examining your house.  You can either let the buyer take control after their inspector provides his report or you can take control now.  You can get ahead of the process and validate your disclosure by having a professional home inspection before you list your home. 

Some believe that the downside is that you may find out that you have some expensive repairs.  In all likelihood, these issues would have turned up anyway at the buyer's home inspection.  We end up back at the question of whom is in control. 

• It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a neutral third-party.
• It helps you to price your home realistically.
• It helps validate your mandatory disclosure, decreases your liability and can relieve a prospect's concerns and suspicions.
• It permits you to make repairs ahead of time so that defects won't become negotiating stumbling blocks later, and you have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if qualified.
• it may cause the buyer to not conduct their own inspection.
• It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as a fire hazard or active termite infestation.