Buying a home without having it professionally inspected first is about as risky as engaging in a game of Russian roulette. But buyers aren't the only folks who can benefit from home inspections.

If you're a seller, your knee-jerk reaction to hearing that a home inspection for owners is a good idea might be "Why? I'm afraid the inspector will uncover a hidden problem that will cost me thousands to repair. Or, I'll have to disclose the problem and subsequently bring my asking price down to compensate the buyer for the necessary repairs."

Well, actually, there's a good argument that owners are best served by having a home inspected prior to the sale.

Why? Because if an inspector seconds your opinion that your home is in good condition, then you've got an excellent marketing tool that should help your Realtor sell your home more quickly and for the highest price possible.

Your pre-inspection report is your negotiating tool that gives validity to your asking price. It also places confidence in the minds of prospective buyers, who know that they're not jumping into uncertain territory.

Chances are good that a serious prospective buyer would hire his or her own inspector to conduct an investigation of your house, but your report signals to the buyer that you're serious -- that you're so confident in the structural integrity of your home that you paid to have it inspected. In addition, the prospective buyer can compare the pre-inspection report with the findings of his or her own inspector. If everything adds up and both reports are favorable, the buyer will be much more likely to pay full asking price without a challenge.

Your Realtor has undoubtedly already covered with you the cosmetic improvements -- a fresh coat of paint, simple landscaping out front, new carpeting or perhaps even some minor home improvements such as appliance replacement -- that will help add value to your home and boost its selling price. The limitations of your Realtor's knowledge lie behind the walls of your home, where hidden problems might be present. And although your Realtor will attempt to be as thorough as possible in his or her assessment of your home's quality, it's likely that he or she will miss more subtle problems like leaks and water damage, minor electrical problems or the breakdown of various appliances in your homes.

Your Realtor will ask you to report any problems which could affect your selling price, and it's your responsibility to report any of which you are aware, under the terms of the sellers' disclosure laws in your state. But if a problem has been brewing behind the walls or in the foundation of your home, and you're unaware of its presence, the buyer could come back to haunt you within months, waving his or her copy of the seller's disclosure, if the problem rears its head shortly after the transaction is complete.

Let's say the buyer does just that -- but you protected yourself by having a home inspection conducted before you placed your house on the market. The inspection, performed by a professional, never uncovered such a problem. If that's the case, you may not be held responsible for a problem that could have been the buyer's own doing.

Having your home pre-inspected can also prevent any problems from occurring at the "eleventh hour" before the transaction closes. Many sellers have experienced last-minute hassles when a prospective buyer's inspection report reveals a hidden problem which could bring the entire transaction to a screeching halt. At this point, the buyer could walk away altogether if the problem seems like more trouble than it's worth. If the problem had been revealed up front buy the seller in the beginning, however, the buyer would have been much more amenable to dealing with it -- most likely through a deduction from the selling price so that the buyer could assume the responsibility of the repair costs.

Proactive disclosure, in many cases, is met with appreciation on the part of the prospective buyer; and it's not likely to kill the deal, either. If the problem is unveiled later, however, the buyer is likely to think the seller tried to deceive him or her, even the seller had no prior knowledge that the problem existed.

Last, pre-inspections protect the safety of both the seller and the buyer. A professional inspector could, in fact, uncover a potential disaster waiting for the first opportunity to strike. Since the seller is likely to remain in the home for a period of time during the transaction process, the discovery of such a problem benefits everyone -- seller and buyer. Even relatively new homes that appear to be in perfect condition can be hiding a serious defect. And the sooner the problem is discovered, the less expensive it is to repair.

If you're preparing to place your home on the market, a pre-inspection is something you can't afford to overlook. It's your insurance policy for a smooth and speedy transaction.

Published: December 18, 2000

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