In this real estate market, it makes sense to get a home inspection before you list your home.
Hire a licensed home inspector to check your house from top to bottom (most inspectors will charge additional fees for septic, radon, well testing, mold and other more extensive areas - don't overlook these if there is any concern or reason to believe there may be a problem). Stay with him/her throughout the entire inspection - a lot of small items may not get mentioned in the report, and you want to make sure you don't miss a thing so plan on taking lots of notes for review. Generally, inspectors will zoom in on the 3 S's (Safety, Structural & Septic - 3 major areas of concern for buyers and often deal breakers). That's not to say other items won't be as important or come up, but as a seller, you need to be aware of any problems in these 3 areas and prepared to fix them (or consider offering a credit to the buyers and let them handle things after closing).
A lot of buyers' won't mind that the gutters need cleaning, that slow little drip in the bathroom sink, or even repainting the entire house. But mention a problem with the electrical wiring, the structure being "iffy" or the dreaded "S" word, and they want out. Remember, knowledge is power! So if you're aware of the problems and costs involved before you list, you can take these into account and set your price accordingly.
