Should I get pre-listing inspection?

Yes, and here is the tradeoff nobody in this thread has stated plainly, because it is the whole decision: whatever the inspection finds, you now know. And what you know, you disclose. That is not an argument against doing it. It is the reason to do it deliberately rather than casually. Once a report exists, you cannot unsee it, and going forward you are selling a house with a known list of issues. The upside is that you control the timing, the contractor and the narrative instead of a buyer's inspector handing you the same list on day twelve of escrow with a demand attached. The downside is that you have permanently converted "I did not know" into "I knew." For most sellers of an older home, that trade is worth it, because a buyer's inspector is going to find those things anyway, and finding them during escrow is when they cost the most. Surprises are what kill deals and trigger renegotiations. A known issue with a quote attached is just a number. Now, the part specific to your house. A 1970s home has a handful of things a general inspection may not fully cover, and these are where the money is: Aluminum branch wiring. Single-strand aluminum was substituted for copper in residential wiring from roughly 1965 to 1973 because of copper prices, and about two million homes got it. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that aluminum-wired homes from that era are dramatically more likely to have connections that reach fire hazard conditions, because aluminum expands and oxidizes differently and the connections loosen over time. This one also has an insurance dimension: some carriers will not write a policy on a house with unremediated single-strand aluminum branch wiring, which means your buyer may not be able to get coverage, which means they may not be able to get a loan. Have the inspector open a few outlets and check. If it is there, the recognized fixes are a full rewire or COPALUM crimp connectors, and knowing that before you list is worth far more than the inspection costs. The sewer lateral. A camera scope of the line from the house to the main is a separate service, it is not part of a general inspection, and on a fifty year old house it is the single most valuable few hundred dollars you can spend. Roots, bellies and collapsed clay lines are five-figure problems that appear at the worst possible moment. Also worth putting on the list: the age and condition of the main electrical panel, whether there is any galvanized supply piping left, the furnace and water heater ages, and the condition of the roof and its flashings. And one legal item. If the house was built before 1978, federal law treats it as target housing for lead-based paint, so at sale you provide the EPA pamphlet, disclose anything you know, hand over any reports, and give the buyer a 10-day window to test unless you both agree otherwise. Most sellers disclose no knowledge, which is usually accurate. Just plan on it. How I would actually use the report. Fix the safety items and anything cheap. For the big items, get two written bids and decide whether to fix, to price for it, or to offer a credit. Then hand the report and the bids to buyers up front. A seller who says "here is the inspection, here are the bids, the price reflects it" negotiates from a much stronger place than one who says "as-is, good luck." I am a real estate professional, not an inspector or an attorney, and I am not licensed in Michigan, so confirm the disclosure specifics with your agent or a Michigan attorney. My name is Zoltan Peresztegi and I work in Los Angeles, the South Bay and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where most of what I sell is this vintage or older. Get the sewer scoped and the outlets opened. Those two are the ones people skip. Zoltan

Mary, I always recommend a pre-listing home inspection, in fact, I go a step further and pay for one on all of our listings. It’s important to know exactly what you’re working with before going to market. I’ve always found it surprising when sellers skip this step, because surprises during the buyer’s inspection can create unnecessary delays, renegotiations, or even derail the transaction entirely. As a seller, you likely already have plans in motion, and having a clear understanding of the home’s condition upfront helps protect those plans and keeps the process moving smoothly. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Real Estate Operations in ALL 50 States

This is a common question among Florida buyers and sellers, and the answer depends on your specific situation and local market conditions. Understanding the fundamentals before making any decisions protects your investment and your timeline. In Beverly Hills, Citrus County, Florida, the real estate landscape has its own characteristics that affect how this plays out in practice. The Nature Coast market attracts a diverse buyer pool including relocators from higher-cost states, retirees, and local move-up buyers, which creates consistent demand across most price points and property types. The strategic approach is to work with a local agent who can pull current comparable sales data and walk you through the specific factors that apply to your situation in Florida. Every market is different at the neighborhood level, and decisions based on general advice or national headlines often miss the local nuances that matter most to your outcome. Making informed decisions based on local data is always the strongest position. Kevin Neely & Kaitlynd Robbins | K2 Sells

That’s a great question. In most cases I don’t typically recommend a pre-listing inspection, even for older homes. Buyers will almost always do their own inspection anyway, so it can sometimes just create a list of items that you feel pressured to address before we even know what a buyer will care about. My preference is usually to focus on making the home show well, price it appropriately, and then address inspection items once we see what the buyer’s inspector identifies. That said, if there’s a specific concern about the home that you’d like clarity on ahead of time, we can certainly talk through whether an inspection would make sense.

Sometimes, yes. It can reduce surprises and make negotiations smoother, but it depends on your home, budget, and market.

Sometimes, yes. It can reduce surprises and make negotiations smoother, but it depends on your home, budget, and market.

Should You Get a Pre-Listing Inspection? If your home was built in the 1970s, a pre-listing inspection can be a smart move before putting it on the market. Here is why: 1. Identify Issues Before Buyers Do Older homes often have aging systems like electrical, plumbing, or HVAC that may not meet today’s standards. A pre-listing inspection helps you find and address these issues early, so you are not surprised later when a buyer’s inspector finds them. 2. Increase Buyer Confidence When you provide an inspection report up front, it sends a message that you have nothing to hide and that you take care of your home. Buyers tend to feel more comfortable and may make stronger offers when they trust the condition of the property. 3. Control Repairs and Pricing By knowing what needs attention ahead of time, you can decide which repairs to make and which to leave as is. This allows you to price your home accurately and avoid last minute renegotiations that can delay or derail a sale. 4. Save Time During Negotiations When you already know the condition of your home, there are fewer surprises during the inspection phase, which often means a smoother, faster closing process. When It May Not Be Necessary If your home has been well maintained, updated, and you already have a good sense of its condition, a pre listing inspection may not be essential. In that case, your Realtor® can help you decide if a buyer’s inspection contingency is enough protection. The Bottom Line A pre-listing inspection is not required, but for homes built before 1970, it can give you peace of mind, make your listing more attractive, and reduce the risk of surprises later. It is an investment that often pays off in smoother negotiations and stronger offers.

A pre-listing inspection solves several problems. It will show you items that you may want to fix prior to listing; then you can provide this inspection report to a buyer showing the items fixed. You will have also saved the buyer from maybe having to have a new inspection performed.

Good evening Mary, I agree with Chris, it is a good idea to get a pre listing inspection. In doing that you will know any potential problems that will come up on a buyers private inspection report, and hopefully you can correct them. That helps put a buyer at ease and may save you time and money negotiating repairs or price during the buyers private inspection contingency,

Hi Mary, getting a pre-listing inspection can be a good idea. You will be able to see what items come up and let buyers know everything that has been addressed. The benefit of this is that when a buyer goes to put an offer on your home, they would have the chance to know the condition of the home up front, rather than them coming in thinking "what if there are issues with the property that need to be addressed?" This thought process from a buyer can cost you sometimes well in excess of what it costs to get an inspection and fix a few things that come up.