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Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home
inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite
effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time.
This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental
reports, and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this
combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the
experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life
expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However,
the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
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Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.
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Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for
example. |
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Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or
insure the home. |
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Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric
panel. |
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem
can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially
in categories 2 and 4).
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects
uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation
to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep
things in perspective. Don't kill your deal over things that don't matter.
It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance,
conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure, or nit-picky items. |
