Should I Pre-Inspect My House Before Selling?

By Gregg Tepper

I have been married to my wonderful wife Letha for 27 years. We have 3 children: Max, Alexander and Charlotte. I have been a licensed Realtor in the New Orleans area for 17 years and am the Operator of The Tepper Group with Keller Williams Realty in Mandeville. Our team services the entire New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Our team of partners has over 40 years of experience. We helped 141 families buy, sell or lease in 2022.

Do you need to sell your home fast? In this market, that’s no easy task. Due to higher interest rates, home prices, and lower demand, you can’t just throw your home on the MLS and expect it to sell in a couple of days. That being said, you can still sell quickly in this market; you just need to put in a little work. That’s why I always recommend my sellers do a pre-listing inspection if they want to spend as little time on market as possible. Here are three key benefits of pre-inspecting your home:

1. You can hit the market with a clean product. The bottom line is that homes in better condition sell faster and for more money. Think about your pre-inspection like certifying a used car. Certified cars are a more desirable product, so people will be willing to pay more money faster. On the other hand, buyers will try to draw things out and get every opportunity in negotiations if your house is an unknown quantity.

2. You can fix major issues before hitting the market. As an agent, I’ve seen this situation play out too many times: My client finds the perfect buyer who is willing to give them everything they want and more. However, this buyer finds some major problem during the inspection process, and the deal is off. A pre-inspection will help you find any “dealbreakers” you need to take care of ahead of time, which will protect your sale.

3. Pre-inspections give you leverage at negotiations. When you have a better product, you can ask for more concessions. Whether you want a quick sale, more money, or better terms, you need leverage to get what you want. One of the worst things that can happen during negotiations is for your buyer to use repairs as a negotiating point. By addressing issues upfront and creating more demand for your home, you can go into negotiations with a stronger position and get what you really want.

Hopefully, you understand why pre-inspections are so important. If you want to sit down for a pre-listing consultation, just call or email me. It’s 100% free, and there’s no obligation to hire with me if things don’t work out or you change your mind about selling. I look forward to hearing from you!