After the Home Inspection – Is this the right home for you?

Dear Rebecca
We are preparing to purchase our first home and the homes that fit our budget are older. I have concerns about getting a good home inspection and am wondering how we insure that we get a thorough one. What kinds of issues can we expect to find? Will the homeowner be required to fix problems that are discovered on inspection?

Dear Colin
Hiring the right home inspector is fundamental to getting a thorough home inspection. If you are working with an agent, they will likely help you by providing a recommended list of home inspectors. You should receive a minimum of three names and from this list; it will be up to you to interview the inspectors and to make your choice. Not all home inspectors provide the same services and not all components of your home may be inspected. You should ask each inspector how much time they will take to inspect your home and if there are areas that will not be covered. For example, most inspectors may inspect your chimney, fireplace, or woodstove to alert you to any problems however, they cannot do an inspection to the satisfaction of insurance companies without special certification (WETT). With this in mind, when including your home inspection condition in your offer, make certain you leave enough time to consult and find the right home inspectors. Ideally, you should interview inspectors prior to house hunting, as sometimes the perfect home may pop up when you least expect it. If you happen to be in a multiple offer situation, your readiness with the right inspectors can give you an advantage and some peace of mind.

The array of items that can come up on home inspections is endless and can be anything from buried oil tanks to knob-and-tube wiring. If you are purchasing an older home, you may not have any major structural issues but be prepared for list of small issues at the very least. What you should be looking for your home inspector to do is; clarify and verify items that may be identified on the Property Condition Disclosure Statement; uncover hidden defects (things that you cannot see from your own visual inspection), and to investigate further the condition of” items of concern” that you may have identified.

The real question that you need to answer after reading your home inspection report is- Do you still want to buy the house or not?… if you do… What is it worth to you now?

The home inspection report is; for you to discover more about what you are buying, to help you decide if this house (with all its flaws) is for you, and is it worth to you the price that you have offered. Whether the home has a collapsing foundation or chipped paint, a home inspection report is not “honey-do” list for the seller. The seller is not required to fix any items that may arise on the inspection. However, upon the discovery of defects found on a home inspection is it is a common approach to give the seller a list of items to have completed prior to closing day. More often than not, this “to-do” list ends up causing problems on closing day. The opposing motivations of the buyer and seller is generally the problem, the seller typically wants to get it done as cheaply and quickly as possible and the buyer will want it fixed to the highest standard. A better approach is to negotiate the price to accommodate the needed repairs. Renegotiating the offer to accommodate the unexpected repairs will have a double benefit to you, as it will reduce potential problems arising on closing day and as well, you will be able to carry out needed repairs to your own standard and satisfaction, making your “perfect home”, perfect for you.

Happy House-Hunting

Rebecca