Seller's home inspections.

Click here for a previous article on the use of home inspections.

I have written on the advantage to home buyers in using home inspections prior to closing on their house, but there is an advantage for sellers also. A seller can arrange and pay for his own inspection prior to listing the home for sale. The inspector will prepare a report that the seller can give to his realtor and to any potential buyer.

Many sellers resist having their own inspections done because they prefer not to know the defects in their house. They believe that if they are not told about a defect, they will not be responsible for it. But whether they know of any defects or not, they can still be sued over said defects later on. And they might lose any such lawsuit, depending on who the jury believes. It is easy for someone to say they are unaware of something. The jury is able to reach its own conclusion. If the seller provides a written inspection report at the start of the process, it is much more clear exactly what the seller knew.

There are pros and cons to this approach, which pros and cons I will address in a future post.