Should I get a pest and building inspection prior to selling my property?
So, the house is tidied, all odd jobs are complete, and your home is ready to go on the market. The next question is, should you get a pest and building inspection prior to marketing your property for sale?
Although not mandatory for sellers, organising a pest and building inspection before your property hits the market can offer a series of benefits.
Here are just a couple of reasons you may wish to undertake a pest and building inspection in advance…
Greater confidence
Pest and building inspections can reveal all sorts of things about a property including hidden nasties like termites, hidden issues like mould, and structural problems you may have overlooked or weren’t even aware of as you went about living in your home.
That makes these inspections a critical part of the due diligence that any serious buyer will undertake prior to purchasing a home. But for sellers who opt to conduct a pest and building inspection before they put their home on the market they can also offer real peace of mind.
They allow you to rest easy in the knowledge there are no hidden problems that are likely to affect the value of your property or stall a sales transaction later down the track.
You can fix any problems
If a pest and building inspection identifies an issue with a property before it goes to market, the seller has the opportunity to fix the problem before it becomes a deal breaker for a prospective buyer.
This can be important when it comes to negotiating a sale. Even small problems which can be easily fixed are a real deterrent to buyers and have the potential to lower your sale price and property appeal.
A more appealing property
On the note of property appeal, having a third party assess your home in advance of sale can help make your property more appealing.
Often when buyers are looking for a property, they are seeking a point of difference and an experience that feels seamless.
Having a completed pest and building inspection report available ticks this box. It allows them to be more confident about becoming emotionally invested to your property, and indicates you have nothing to hide.
Expedite the sale
If a buyer is keen on your home, chances are they would like to make an offer and complete the purchase as quickly as possible.
Having a pest and building inspection at the ready can assist. It saves buyers valuable time, allows them to approach the deal with greater confidence and removes a hurdle in the purchasing process.
It also removes the possibility of any nasty surprises, and bear in mind even the smallest issues that are discovered later rather than sooner can really impact a buyer’s enthusiasm for a property.
