Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Please Note: My advice on this topic will vary based on how demand compares to supply in your market segment - and based on the age of your home. But regardless, let's look at some reasons why you might decide to have a home inspection completed on your home before listing it for sale...
The market is still quite active in most price ranges, but more buyers are feeling a willingness to include a home inspection contingency, so it is relatively likely that the buyer of your home will conduct a home inspection once they are under contract to purchase your home.
That home inspection is a normal part of the process, and sometimes it leads to repair requests from the buyer.
As such, some sellers consider completing a home inspection before listing their home for sale. A home inspection before you list your home is not the right move for everyone, but if you have both the time and the money, it can be quite helpful.
Time...
If you complete a home inspection before listing your home, there is a good chance the inspector will identify a handful of issues. Most homes -- even very well maintained ones -- have at least a few items that show up on an inspection report.
If we are planning to list your home next week, you probably will not have time to address those issues before your home goes on the market. But if we are planning to put your home in the market in a month or two, an inspection before you list your home gives you time to make repairs on your own schedule instead of scrambling after a buyer requests repairs when your house is under contract.
Money...
The inspection itself will have a cost (perhaps $400 to $550), but the larger potential financial commitment will be addressing any deficiencies found during the inspection.That inspection could uncover items that you decide to repair before listing your home -- perhaps a roof repair, electrical updates, plumbing fixes, or addressing deferred maintenance items -- and there will be a cost to those repairs.
Or, No Inspection...
Of course, the alternative to doing that inspection before you list your home is waiting to see what turns up in a buyer's inspection. If significant issues are found via the inspection, buyers will sometimes request repairs or ask for a credit, sometimes depending on the price they are paying for the house.
Discovering any issues ahead of time, allows you as a seller to handle repairs proactively and present the home to buyers with fewer potential concerns.
A pre-listing inspection certainly is not the right move for every seller, and most homes go on the market without one. But if you have the time and the money (as outlined above), it can be a helpful way to reduce surprises later in the process and potentially create a smoother transaction from listing your home to heading to closing.
The market is still quite active in most price ranges, but more buyers are feeling a willingness to include a home inspection contingency, so it is relatively likely that the buyer of your home will conduct a home inspection once they are under contract to purchase your home.
That home inspection is a normal part of the process, and sometimes it leads to repair requests from the buyer.
As such, some sellers consider completing a home inspection before listing their home for sale. A home inspection before you list your home is not the right move for everyone, but if you have both the time and the money, it can be quite helpful.
Time...
If you complete a home inspection before listing your home, there is a good chance the inspector will identify a handful of issues. Most homes -- even very well maintained ones -- have at least a few items that show up on an inspection report.
If we are planning to list your home next week, you probably will not have time to address those issues before your home goes on the market. But if we are planning to put your home in the market in a month or two, an inspection before you list your home gives you time to make repairs on your own schedule instead of scrambling after a buyer requests repairs when your house is under contract.
Money...
The inspection itself will have a cost (perhaps $400 to $550), but the larger potential financial commitment will be addressing any deficiencies found during the inspection.That inspection could uncover items that you decide to repair before listing your home -- perhaps a roof repair, electrical updates, plumbing fixes, or addressing deferred maintenance items -- and there will be a cost to those repairs.
Or, No Inspection...
Of course, the alternative to doing that inspection before you list your home is waiting to see what turns up in a buyer's inspection. If significant issues are found via the inspection, buyers will sometimes request repairs or ask for a credit, sometimes depending on the price they are paying for the house.
Discovering any issues ahead of time, allows you as a seller to handle repairs proactively and present the home to buyers with fewer potential concerns.
A pre-listing inspection certainly is not the right move for every seller, and most homes go on the market without one. But if you have the time and the money (as outlined above), it can be a helpful way to reduce surprises later in the process and potentially create a smoother transaction from listing your home to heading to closing.
