Many buyers notice while they’re shopping for a home that sellers have already provided a pre-listing inspection. This might be a whole house inspection, or a wood destroying organism inspection, or both. A pre-listing inspection is a great tool for sellers to prepare for hitting the market.
Some buyers might wonder, “If the seller already has an inspection report for me, why should I spend money on a report of my own?”
There are a few reasons we encourage both a pre-listing inspection and a buyer’s inspection on the same home, even though we provide the same whole house and wood destroying organism inspections for both situations.
Benefits of a Pre-listing Inspection
- Sellers can fully understand the condition of their home before they set the listing price
- Sellers can anticipate what major defects a buyer’s inspector might find before they complete initial price negotiations with a buyer
- Disclosing known defects to a buyer upfront can help avoid buyers getting cold feet after they have their own inspections
Reasons for a Buyer to Hire Their Own Inspector
- Different inspectors may note different findings:
- a home’s condition changes, both with the seasons, and as a home ages
- different inspectors have varying levels of experience, and some will observe defects that others might miss
- based on their level of experience, some inspectors will view the same defect in a different light
- different inspectors devote varying amounts of effort to their inspections and reports
- Even if a seller is not willing to negotiate any repairs, having a complete picture of your new home’s condition from a qualified, experienced inspector of your choosing is essential to properly budget for the cost of living in it:
- for understanding routine maintenance costs
- for budgeting major replacements and repairs
- OAR (Oregon Administrative Rules) 812-008-0202 through 812 008-0214 set forth the minimum standards of practice required by Oregon certified home inspector. OAR 812-008-0202 (F) states that the Oregon certified home inspectors must:
Include on the first page of the contract and on the first page of the report, in bold-faced, capitalized type and in at least 12 point font, the following statement: “THIS REPORT IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE PERSON PURCHASING THE HOME INSPECTION SERVICES. NO OTHER PERSON, INCLUDING A PURCHASER OF THE INSPECTED PROPERTY WHO DID NOT PURCHASE THE HOME INSPECTION SERVICES, MAY RELY UPON ANY REPRESENTATION MADE IN THE REPORT.”
- OAR 812-008-0202 (F) means that a pre-listing inspection report belongs to the seller only, and while the seller will understandably and importantly share it with the buyer to disclose information about the home, the buyer will have no contract with the seller’s inspector.
There is immense value in ensuring that the professionals assisting you in the sale or purchase of an investment as large as real estate are working directly for You. At HomeCheck Inspection Service, we believe a home inspection by your own home inspector is a sound investment for both the seller and the buyer in every real estate transaction.
If you have any questions about inspections, please reach out to us. We’re here to help!