Should you get an inspection before you put your house on the market? In Charlotte, many Realtors say “yes!” At Creative Home Stagers, we work with successful Realtors all over town to help make homes as marketable as possible prior to listing. In addition to home staging, many of our clients decide that a pre-market home inspection is one way to add value to their house. Here’s why.

Inspections are a Goodwill Gesture
First and foremost, pre-sale home inspections are a gesture of good faith to buyers. It’s something not all sellers do, and immediately sets a home apart. It also indicates you’ve fixed any preexisting issues that could come up down the road, and that you’re not interested in negotiating the final sale price down once the buyer’s inspection is complete. A tangible inspection might help keep buyers who’d otherwise be scared off by an older home or a fixer-upper to stay interested.

Save the Sale with a Pre-Inspection
In Charlotte, the due diligence period provides a lot of protection for buyers. If anything comes up during this period (typically when inspections, appraisals, and other necessary “due diligence” is done), buyers can walk away without a massive monetary penalty. As a seller, the last thing you want is to be on pins and needles for weeks pending a home inspection. Will the buyers walk? Will they demand huge concessions? Is our house falling apart?! Once a house has gone under contract then goes back on the market, buyers might be extra skeptical and unwilling to offer top-dollar, too.

Spend Less Money
Much like home staging, a pre-sale inspection is an investment in the final sale price of your home. Inspections themselves only cost a few hundred dollars, and they can reveal serious problems that could potentially cost you thousands in concessions down the road. Instead of battling with buyers over how much a broken fencepost or dying HVAC system “should” get them in concessions, you get to fix the issues on your own time with your preferred service provider. This can be a particularly big benefit for owners of older homes that could have expensive underlying issues lying in wait.

Thinking of getting your home inspected prior to listing? Smart idea! Ask your Realtor about reputable home inspection companies in your area; your seller’s inspection should be done by an experienced, recognizable inspector to carry the most weight.

Readying your house for sale? In addition to a pre-market inspection, a staging consultation is a smart use of your time. Contact (or have your Realtor reach out to!) the Creative Home Stagers in Charlotte today.