How to Keep Your Asking Price, and Sell Your Home Faster
In 2025, an article in Redfin cited why 70% of failed home sales kept happening - and it wasn't because of the price, interest rate, or economic downturn. It was due to unforeseen repairs and issues found during the inspection. So, how can a homeowner resolve unknown issues before selling, to keep their asking price and expedite the sale of a home?
To help me answer this question I've asked Anita Jordan, a realtor in the Louisville area, to assist me. All her responses are in blue italics.
Homes which have a Pre-Inspection prior to being put on the market tend to bypass critical issues and are able to sell more quickly for closer to the asking price.
"Why Should I?"
There are several reasons why people are skeptical and unwilling to do a Pre-listing Inspection. We want to take this opportunity to address each one, because we think there are more pros to pre-inspection, than cons.
(Objection 1) The owner is legally obligated to disclose any issues found.
That's true, but disclosing an issue on your own terms is a much better position to be in than when the buyer's inspector discovers it.
For example, if the pre-inspection reveals an old water heater that works, but is out of warranty, you'll disclose it, price the home accordingly, or offer a home warranty. Without the pre-inspection, when the inspector finds it mid-escrow, the buyer could panic, assume the home is neglected, demand a $3,000 - $5,000 credit, or threaten to walk away over a $1,500 replacement.
"The homeowner is legally obligated to disclose any issues that are found. As their fiduciary, it is important to make sure your sellers understand that this is both the risk and responsibility of a pre-listing inspection. But the question I always ask is, “won’t those issues eventually be disclosed through the buyers’ inspections anyway?”
(Objection 2) The homeowner doesn't want to spend money on a home inspection.
This is understandable, but the contractors who'll demand top dollar for a rush job to fix an issue prior to closing or buyers demanding thousands off the selling price to compensate, is worse. Having a pre-inspection and finding the issues beforehand puts you in the driver's seat of discovery. No surprises. No hidden costs. No lost deals.
"One of the first experiences I had with a prelisting inspection was with a luxury seller in Sunset Hills Missouri. This seller had an inspector thoroughly inspect his home prior to contacting me. At my listing appointment, he presented me with the pre-listing inspection, along with a list of repairs that he had already made to the home. I was awestruck and knew this was how I wanted to do business.
When we hit the market, that pre-listing inspection report was made available to our buyer along with the completed repairs, so nothing was hidden. Our buyer waived inspections completely and we were able to close the property faster than would have been possible otherwise."
(Objection 3) The buyers will hire their own inspector, so there's no point.
Having an inspection done ahead of time with receipts for completed repairs, puts buyers at ease and more confident in purchasing a home. Plus, even if they do hire an inspector, their report will largely mirror yours leaving them no leverage to talk down price.
(Objection 4) I'll have to make unnecessary repairs.
If a report flags minor cosmetic issues or aging fixtures, you don't have to fix them. Instead, disclose your report, any repairs you did make, and that it's priced to reflect the current condition of the home. Plus, if you do decide to fix issues, you're in total control of how that's done.
Last year I had an estate sale. This 60’s ranch was far from perfect, and the sellers did not want to do a pre-listing inspection. Fear of what might be found, kept them from investigating further. With the market shifting, it took longer than we hoped to get this house under contract, but eventually we found a buyer. After waiting another 2 weeks for the inspection results, the inspector found the electrical panel needed to be replaced. An expensive repair, of course, but instead of negotiating with my sellers, this buyer chose to cancel the contract. Ultimately, my sellers still had to replace the electrical panel and ended up reducing the sale price of the home by another $15,000.
A costly mistake indeed!"
The Realtor Advantage
A realtor's job is so much more than just helping you sell your home. A skilled agent, like Anita Jordan, partners with you to take your pre-inspection findings into game-changing strategy by:
Navigating the Pre-Inspection Report
Connecting you with trusted local professionals (contractors, plumbers, handymen, etc)
Settling on competitive pricing for your property
Keeping the sale of your property simple and fair
My seller benefits from pre-listing inspections by saving them money on repair costs, time in negotiations and reduction of lost contracts. Disclosure is always important and will happen whether it’s through the seller’s inspection or the buyers. With a pre-listing inspection, sellers can be proactive and transparent. A proactive seller can save hundreds of dollars by doing the repairs themselves or finding a trusted contractor to help. Transparency creates trust, and a smoother deal. In my opinion, a pre-listing inspection is a win-win.
Resources and More
There's a few helpful resources we'd like to leave you with so you can make the best decision regarding your property.
Our Pre-listing Inspection Page - Filled with information and how this choice is a win for everyone involved.
The Home Inspection Prep List - A helpful guide to assist you in searching for areas in your home that may need a look over prior to an inspection.
Scheduling Page - If you'd like to go ahead and book your pre-inspection, simply choose the Home/Commercial Inspections button and select "GuardianPro Building Inspection".
You can also schedule by calling our office at 502-777-9334.
We hope this guide helped you consider Pre-listing Inspections in a new light. The advantage to knowing your home has been checked for issues prior to listing far outweighs the stress and consequences of trying to haggle with buyers after finding issues with your property.
Review Spotlight: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alexander Strickland
9/21/2026
"Noah was fantastic! Super nice and answered all of my questions. He didn’t mind me following him around to learn what he was looking for and to better understand the inspection process. I would recommend him again!!"
Authors:
 | |
|---|