Home inspection, seller stage

Pre-Listing Home Inspection in Phoenix

A pre-listing inspection puts the seller in the driver's seat. You get the same six-system look a buyer's inspector would run, but you get it first, so you decide what to do about each finding on your own timeline, before the home is ever on the market.

Schedule Your Inspection 480-805-2025

The same six-system scope
You control the report
From $285 residential

Bob Clardy inspecting an open exterior electrical service panel with a flashlight

The decision at this stage

You are in the driver's seat, one finding at a time

The decision at this stage is not whether the house is sound. It is what you do with what the report says, while you still control the calendar. Each finding sorts into one of a few choices: repair it now, bring in a specialist for a closer opinion, watch it and note it, or leave it as is. Making those calls before an offer, a buyer's inspector, and a closing date all land at once is the entire reason to go first. You are budgeting and sequencing on your terms, not reacting under someone else's deadline.

1
Repair it now
Set the schedule and choose the contractor yourself, instead of a rushed fix during escrow.
2
Get a specialist opinion
A roofer, electrician, or structural engineer takes a closer look before you commit money.
3
Monitor and note
Minor or slow-moving conditions you decide to leave for now, with eyes open.
4
Leave as is
A deliberate choice you make on your own budget and timeline.

Doing this before you list means the timeline and the budget are yours, not a buyer's inspector's and not a closing date's.

Your report, your call

Who sees it is entirely up to you

Because you ordered the report, you also control who sees it and when. Nothing here is shared with buyers or agents automatically. Whether the report becomes part of how you list, and how any of it is communicated, is a conversation for you and your real estate professional. We give you the findings on the property's condition. We do not tell you what you are required to disclose or how to handle it, and none of this is legal advice.

Keep it internalA private planning tool, used only to decide what to address.
Share proof of repairsShow buyers only the receipts and scopes for what you fixed.
Share the full reportPut the whole observed condition on the table up front.
Nothing is shared automatically. Whether and how you share it is a strategy and disclosure conversation for you and your real estate professional, and none of it is legal advice from us.

Going first has advantages

Use the time an early inspection buys you

Most pre-listing homes are still lived in, and going first lets you prepare calmly instead of scrambling once a buyer is asking questions.

Prep an occupied home so nothing gets skipped

Clear a path to the electrical panel, water heater, and furnace or air handler
Open access to the attic hatch and the cabinets under sinks
Move stored boxes off the garage wall and away from the water heater
Plan for pets to be crated or out of the house
Walk along and ask what each note means for your repair-or-not call

Build the paper trail while you have time

Keep the report itself as your working document
Hold onto receipts and invoices for anything you repair
Save written opinions or scopes from specialists you bring in
Keep a tidy record of what you addressed, and when

One honest caveat

A report is a snapshot, not a standing guarantee

A report is a snapshot of the day of the inspection, not a standing guarantee. An item that reads fine in early September can change by the time you actually list weeks later, and any repairs you complete afterward change the picture too. If the gap between the inspection and your listing date stretches, plan for the possibility of a re-check or updated documentation so what you are working from still matches the house buyers will see.

1
Inspection day
condition captured as observed
2
Weeks pass
conditions and repairs change the picture
3
Listing day
what buyers will actually see

If the gap between the inspection and your listing date stretches, plan for a re-check or updated documentation so what you present still matches the house buyers will see.

Clear boundaries

What a pre-listing inspection does not do

It hands you information and control, not a market outcome. The full six-system scope is the standard residential inspection detailed on your inspection.

We report the conditions we observe on the day of the inspection. We do not advise what you are legally required to disclose or how to word it. Those questions belong with your real estate professional or attorney.
We cannot promise that a pre-listing inspection leads to a faster sale, a higher price, or fewer requests from a buyer's inspector later. It gives you information and control, not a guaranteed market outcome.
A report is a point-in-time snapshot, not a warranty or a promise about future condition. Conditions can change between the inspection and your listing date.
We do not determine your home's market value, and we do not rank repairs by resale return. What is worth fixing for your situation is a decision for you and your agent.
The six-system scope is the standard residential inspection detailed on /your-inspection/. A pre-listing inspection does not add code-compliance certification and does not guarantee that a future buyer's inspector will reach identical conclusions.

Common questions

Seller questions we get asked

Thinking about going first? Talk it through before you book.

480-805-2025

Do I have to fix everything the report finds before I list?

No. There is no rule that a pre-listing report becomes a repair checklist. The value is that you get to sort each item into repair now, specialist opinion, monitor, or leave as is, and make those calls on your own budget and timeline. We report the conditions we observe; which ones you act on is your decision, made with your real estate professional.

Will you send the report to buyers or the MLS?

No. The report goes to you and only you. Nothing is shared automatically with buyers, agents, or any listing service. If and how you share it, whether that is the full report or just proof of repairs you completed, is entirely your choice to make with your agent.

Is the report still accurate if I do not list for another month or two?

The report reflects the home's condition on the day we inspect it, not indefinitely. Conditions can change, and repairs you complete afterward change the picture too. If a real gap opens up between the inspection and your listing date, it is reasonable to arrange a re-check or updated documentation so what you are presenting matches the current state of the house.

Can I be there while you inspect, and does it help?

Yes, and for a seller it is often especially worth it. Because you plan to act on the findings, walking along lets you ask what a given note actually means for your repair-or-not decision while we are standing in front of it. Just prep an occupied home first: clear access to the panel, water heater, HVAC, attic hatch, and under-sink areas, and plan for pets.

Where we work

Pre-listing inspections across the Valley

Also worth knowing

The other stages

I recently hired Bob for a home inspection on a listing of mine, and I was thoroughly impressed. Not only was he professional and detail-oriented, but also incredibly personable. Bob took the time to connect with the seller as a person, not just a client, which made a huge difference. His thoughtful approach, clear communication, and prompt, thorough report made the entire process seamless. I highly recommend Bob to anyone looking for an inspector who combines expertise with true care and respect.

Martin T., via GoogleRead more reviews

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Send the property details and you get a quote and the next available dates back. Residential inspections start at $285.