VIDEO: REALTORS® Can Guide You Through the Home Inspection Process

Depending on the age and condition of your home, your REALTOR® may recommend a pre-listing inspection to address immediate repair needs to increase the home’s value and avoid potential conflicts with buyers. Alternately, if you are in the market to purchase a home, your REALTOR® will most likely recommend an independent property inspection to identify any major defects that may become major costs in the immediate future. The knowledge gained from inspections helps you and your REALTOR® during negotiations. In either case, a licensed home inspector will determine the functional status of all major home systems including heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, roof, structural, pool, irrigation, and doors and windows. Sellers who disclose pre-listing inspection reports practice transparency and can use it to show how they already factored repair costs into the asking price. Likewise, a buyer’s inspection will help your REALTOR® determine whether necessary repair costs were factored into the asking price or whether these repair costs can be used during negotiations.