Home Inspections, Nightmare or Blessing???

Boy, that is a good question. Home inspections have taken on a life of their own in recent times. They can either be a sellers nightmare or a buyers blessing! But should they be either of those ? I don’t think so. First lets take a look at the purpose of a home inspection. The true purpose is not to get an opinion of whether to buy or not buy.  The true purpose is to get an unbiased inspection of the real condition of the home today. Not what it might be in 6 months or a year, that requires conjecture and predictions; not be something a home inspector should get into if he/she is truly an unbiased professional.  The Buyer has a contractual relationship with the home inspector, the seller does not. The seller only hopes that the inspector is unbiased and good at what he/she does. The information gathered by a home inspector belongs to the buyer, since the buyer has paid for the information, not the seller. Once complete, the buyer must make a reasonable evaluation of the inspection report and then proceed accordingly with his agent to ask for repairs that they deem necessary. 

 Sellers should not freak out at first glance at the requests for repairs.  First of all sellers need to remember a home inspector is not a professional plumber, electrician, HVAC repair man, roofer, glass pro, floor covering person or a builder. Many items that the inspector may call out might not actually need repair or replacing. Always double check with professionals to verify if the home inspector is accurate in his assessments of the property. For example, many home inspectors routinely call out failed seals in windows, only to find out they need cleaning and are not actually failed. So don’t be afraid to call on each individual trade pro to double check anything that is in question from a home inspection. 

  Sellers can also be proactive, by either getting a home inspection prior to listing their property, or by having many of the items that are routinely a problem in a home inspection inspected prior to listing. You can have your HVAC system serviced and know in advance if any repairs are necessary. The same is true with plumbing, electrical, roofing, glass or window dealers, Painting, doors that may need adjusting, etc. Sometimes just a real good closer look at your own home will reveal many obvious repairs that need to be done prior to listing. Another good thing to do is budget between 1/2% – 1% of your sales price for repairs before you list. Ouch you may say, but be realistic, every home needs some repair, that is the nature of homes, they are constantly in need of love and attention to keep them in their best shape. Plus if you plan for some repairs in your selling budget, it will be a lot more palatable when a buyer asks for a few repairs, and you as a seller will be much more realistic in your response to a buyers request for repairs. Don’t let that home inspection wreck your sale, be prepared for some repairs and to call on professionals to verify.  Good luck out there and be careful.