If you intend to put your house on the market, a home building inspection could identify items that can cause problems during a buyer's inspection. This allows you to be proactive in making repairs, thereby putting you house in a more saleable condition. If a buyer knows most or all of the defects up front, the defects take on their proper perspective. Conversely, if the buyer's inspection finds defects, they take on ominous proportions. Suspicion may turn into apprehension which can ultimately cause the deal to fall apart.

Historically, if a buyer is unaware of a defect prior to making an offer, the natural tendency is to negotiate the price once the defect becomes known after their own home inspection has been done. With prior knowledge from the seller's home inspection report, the defect instead is taken into consideration before the offer is made and there is less leverage for re-negotiation.

The seller's strongest position for negotiation is at the time the buyer first presents an offer to purchase. If negotiation starts subsequent to the buyer's home inspection, the seller is mentally set for a sale, but perhaps more inclined to give concessions to avoid the deal falling apart. With prior knowledge a seller can either:

1. offer the house "as-is"
2. repair the defect using their contractor of choice
3. downgrade (e.g. remove a rotted deck)

Above all, the seller's inspection report gives a fixed point of reference for everyone involved to work from before the sales agreement is signed.

How do I find a good home inspector? Not all inspection companies are alike, and selecting the wrong company could cost you thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs. Consider the following when shopping for home inspection companies.

Experience: How much experience do the inspectors have and how long have they have been in the business? The best home inspectors have been in business for years and have seen thousands of homes.

Liability Insurance: Does the inspector carry Professional Liability Insurance. If you ever need to collect on a legal judgment, an inspector without insurance my not be able to pay your claim.

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