Should I Get A Home Inspection Before I List?

By Ellen Ashley|2021-01-12T08:34:22-08:00June 23, 2014|

Absolutely!

Getting a home inspection before you sell your home is a smart choice on your part. Not only can it be a great negotiation tool but more importantly, disclosing as much information upfront via a home inspection will give your potential buyer the peace of mind and confidence that they will be investing in a structurally sound home.

So why get a home inspection?

There are many things beyond the curb appeal, the interior décor, and the square footage that are important to know before you sell your home. Unfortunately, most of these things are behind the walls or beneath the floors. Even if you had the home built less than a year ago many issues can pop up that you may not be aware of. One of the most important things to have inspected is the foundation of the home. Some foundations can be cracked or have termite damage and this can be costly. Other things that need to be checked during your home inspection would be the electrical wiring and panels, the heating and air conditioning units, any appliances or mechanical units, backup generators, or alarm systems, proper insulation, and the roof and skylights. Also make sure to have your inspector check for any mold throughout the house. In some areas, a seismic inspection might be needed in order to check the ground your home was built on, especially if the home is built on the side of a hill or in earthquake country. Taking these steps before you list will give you a full understanding of the condition of your home and an idea of what you need to fix before you list. This can save you a lot of time and money prior to escrow.

Finding the right Inspector

Finding a good inspector is imperative. You will have to place a lot of trust in the person who is inspecting your home. Referrals are the best way to find a great home inspector and your agent has a knowledgeable source of professionals who work in the area. It would be more important to find a qualified reputable inspector who has been in business 3 years completing 500 inspections than an inspector who has been in business 10 years and has only completed 20 inspections. Some inspectors have been around a long time but only work part time and do not have as much experience. Also, make sure your inspector is a licensed professional before they perform any work. You can check their license status online and see if it is up to date and that they carry the proper insurance and boding necessary to do the work.

It would be a good idea for you to be around during the inspection to ask questions and make sure you are getting the service you paid for by your home inspector. Your inspection can take between 2-4 hours and longer for larger homes. You will receive the final written report usually within 24-48 hours and possible more time dependent of the size of the report or the requirements by the state.

Cost can vary depending on the size of the home and location. For example, if you live on the side of a hill it might be more work than if you live on a flat parcel of land. You get what you pay for so do not look for the cheapest service available. Instead look for the most professional skilled inspector.

Having a home inspection is worth every penny and having a professional home inspector’s objective opinion about the home assures a solid knowledge of the next steps you may need to take prior to selling your home.

Ellen Ashley

2930 Woodside Road
Woodside, CA 94062
Direct: 650.888.1886
Compass email: [email protected]

Contact Ellen today!

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'I met Ellen Ashley last year when I was selling my home in Woodside. I instantly liked her and decided to have her help me look for a home in the San Mateo Park area. She was wonderful to work with, understood my needs and what I was looking for. She found a perfect home for me. She is very professional, knowledgeable and was always there to answer any question I might have. I loved working with her!'

Bente Tellefsen, San Mateo,

'We just wanted you to know how much we appreciated your handling the sale of our home. It's a can-do attitude that makes all the difference and you poured your energy and enthusiasm into this effort. Your marketing plan, professionalism, solid negotiation skills, and just plain good advice all contributed to the successful sale of our property. We were delighted to have the chance to get to know you. Thanks again for your great work.'

Margaret Allen, MD and Richard Weller, MD,

'Thank you so much for all of the extra effort you put in to getting us settled in our first home. We couldn't be happier! We appreciate all the ways you went above and beyond for us - thank you!'

Drs. Marina and Andy Martin,

'We have recently discovered that the business of selling a house is not a simple one. Detaching yourself from it emotionally is actually easier than navigating your way through the myriad of details that need to be addressed. My wife and I would like to convey our most sincere thanks to you for all of your guidance and professionalism. Your continued focus and marketing made all the difference.'

Steve and Jo Summers, Woodside,

'As a young family, having Ellen's resources and experience behind us was an invaluable benefit. The process of purchasing a home is confusing and frustrating at times, at every turn Ellen assisted and gave us the certainty that we were making the right choices for our family. It's fair to say we really couldn't have done it without her.'

Marc and Kathy Masnik, Portola Valley,

'Thank you for making the sale of our home so easy and so pleasant. We appreciate everything you did for us from staging to strong negotiations, all of which resulted in a sale in 5 days well over our asking price . Again, thank you for managing the many details and also for our lasting friendship.'

Tude Stevens, Woodside,

'We recently sold our home in Menlo Park after living there for 16 years. Ellen was amazing every step of the way. She helped us get our house ready to sell, bringing in a phenomenal designer who recommended upgrades and staging to ensure our house would appeal to current tastes. Because we had already moved out of the area, she oversaw day-to-day management of the entire process. She then priced and marketed the home to attract buyers, but also to give us some headroom for competitive bidding. Not only were we thrilled at the outcome, working with Ellen was a lot of fun. I can’t recommend her highly enough.''

Susan A. Thomas,

'We worked with Ellen to purchase our home in Woodside and sell our home in Menlo Park. She is one of the best agents with whom we have ever had the pleasure of working. For buyers, she is creative and points out issues and opportunities. She is effective in negotiations, has a valuable network of professionals to get things done, and was there for us after the sale. For sellers, she is strategic, knows the market well, and was able to position our home well and attract highly motivated buyers. Ellen manages the entire transaction to ensure everything goes smoothly, and she is fun and easy to work with. We highly recommend Ellen Ashley for all of your real estate needs.'

John Matheny and Lena Plamondon,

We gave Ellen a nearly-impossible task: find the dream house for two very picky buyers — and she did! She did a great job screening out houses that didn’t meet our criteria and cheerfully showed us only the best candidates. When Ellen found our dream house, we’d unfortunately scheduled a vacation right at the same time. We made an offer and took off, but Ellen smoothed out all the potential issues and handled everything while we were traveling. Everything worked out perfectly! When selling our previous house, Ellen connected us with landscapers and a stager that made the house look amazing. It sold in less then a week for over the asking price. Needless to say, we were thrilled and would happily recommend Ellen to anyone buying or selling a house in the area.

Leslie Wallace and Derek Clegg,