According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, 86 percent of homebuyers request a home inspection before making a final offer on the property. Why? Inspections can reveal defects that could result in thousands of dollars in repairs. 

Before putting your home on the market, you should make sure that it's in the best possible condition. Hiring a home inspection company to take a look at your home before any buyer does can help with the following: 

• Determining the selling price – If you've met with an appraiser or a real estate agent, you may already have an idea of how you want to price your home. Getting an early inspection will help you figure out if you're willing to ask for less in the event that a major repair is needed. 
• Finding underlying issues – Seemingly simple issues like a toilet not flushing properly may be a sign of a larger problem. A professional inspector can usually pinpoint the underlying problem and recommend a solution. This will not only benefit the buyer, but you as well should you choose to stay in your house.
• Making less-expensive repairs – When a fault is found during a buyer's inspection, you will only have a few days to decide whether or not you will make a repair or change the price. If you do decide to fix the issue, you may have to employ a contractor of the buyer's choosing. A pre-inspection will enable you to price, compare and find a solution on your own schedule.