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 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 and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories: 1. Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure. 2. Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example. 3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home. 4. 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. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure or nit-picky items. What you can expect : You are encouraged to be present for your home inspection but if you can't, you can be sure that I will be available not only during your home buying process to answer any questions you may have, but after you have moved in as well. You will receive a full color narrative computer generated report within 24 hours of your inspection (48 hours if you are having a radon test done). This will be available to you via email or fax and you will always be provided with a hard copy as well. I look forward to working with you! |
The Process
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