For sellers
Pre-Listing Inspection
Find out what a buyer’s inspector will find, while you still control the timing, the contractor and the price of the fix.
Almost every deal that falls apart falls apart after the buyer’s inspection. Not because the house was bad, but because a surprise turned up at the worst possible moment, with a deadline attached and a buyer holding the pen.
A pre-listing inspection moves that moment forward. You find out first, on your schedule, with time to get real quotes instead of accepting whatever credit the buyer demands.
What is a pre-listing inspection?
A pre-listing inspection is a full home inspection ordered by the seller before the house goes on the market. It covers the same systems, to the same North or South Carolina Standards of Practice, as the inspection a buyer will order during due diligence. The difference is who sees the findings first, and how much time they have to act on them.
What it changes
- You choose the contractor. Fix it yourself at your price, rather than funding a buyer’s worst-case estimate.
- You price the house correctly. No mid-deal renegotiation because something turned up in week three.
- Fewer surprises kill fewer deals. Buyers walk away from uncertainty more often than from repairs.
- Disclosure gets easier. You know the condition of the house and can say so plainly.
- It builds trust. A seller who has already had the house inspected reads as a seller with nothing to hide.
What we inspect
- The same scope as a full buyer’s home inspection, structure, roof, exterior, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, interior, insulation and safety.
- Findings sorted by what actually affects a sale versus routine maintenance.
- A photo report you can hand to a contractor for quotes.
What to do with the report
- Repair what a buyer will ask about. Roof, water, structural, electrical and safety items are the ones that tend to come back as repair requests.
- Get quotes for the rest. A written quote in the listing file answers a buyer’s question before it turns into a negotiation.
- Price with the condition in mind. Your agent can account for known items in the list price rather than conceding them later.
- Talk to your agent about disclosure. They can advise on what the report means for your disclosure statement.
When it pays off most
Book it before listing photos, with enough time to get contractors out and finish any repairs you decide to make. A pre-listing inspection earns its keep on older homes, houses with a crawlspace, homes you have owned for many years, estate and relocation sales, and any house that has been sitting empty.
Add-ons worth considering
A buyer’s inspector may recommend more than the home inspection. Adding the ones that apply to your house means no surprises from those reports either: radon testing, a sewer scope, a termite inspection and, on a well, well water testing. Our inspection packages bundle the common combinations into one visit.
Selling in the Carolinas
We perform pre-listing inspections in every market we serve: Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro and the Triad, Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Columbia. Call the number for your market, or book online and pick the time that suits you.
Schedule your inspection
Online booking, or call the office for your market and talk to a person.
See it in practice
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to disclose what the inspection finds?
Disclosure rules vary and this is a question for your agent or attorney, not your inspector. What we can tell you is that most sellers find it easier to disclose a known and repaired issue than to discover it under a deadline.
When should I do it?
Before you list, with enough runway to get quotes and complete any repairs you decide to make.
Is it the same inspection a buyer would get?
Yes. Same scope, same standards, same report. That is the point, you want to see what they will see.
What does it cost?
Pricing varies by square footage and market. Call the number for your market for an exact quote.
Will the buyer still do their own inspection?
Usually, yes. A pre-listing inspection does not replace a buyer’s right to inspect. What it does is make it far less likely their inspection turns up something you did not already know about.
Should I share the report with buyers?
That is a decision for you and your agent. Some sellers make it available with the listing, others use it only to plan repairs and pricing.
Is a pre-listing inspection only for older homes?
No. Newer homes have issues too, from missing insulation to venting and grading problems. Older homes simply tend to have more of them.
Ready to schedule?
Book online, or call the office for your market.