As soon as your offer is accepted, we’ll schedule a home inspection if you want one and stated this contingency in your offer. We have a number of trusted home inspectors to recommend to you.
What is a home inspection?
Your home inspector will check a massive list (more than 1,000 items) of systems, appliances, and structures in the home to evaluate its condition. You’ll get a written report identifying potential problems and future maintenance issues. We’ll look at it together to decide whether the report means you’re go to go, want to walk away from a house, or ask the sellers to make repairs. You can also have an “information only” inspection, which means you’re buying the house as is, but want to know its condition.
What’s included in a home inspection?
The inspector will check:
- Structural conditions such as the foundation, beams, and floors.
- Roof condition.
- Mechanical systems such as heat and air conditioning.
- Appliances to make sure they’re working.
- Plumbing for leaks, rust, and water pressure.
- Electrical systems such as grounded outlets and code violations.
- Safety issues such as stairs, handrails, mold, or chimney maintenance.
What should you watch for during the home inspection?
Together, we’ll attend the home inspection so you can see any potential problems yourself. The inspector can answer questions about the home, so if there’s anything you don’t understand or are worried about, just ask.
You’ve got the home inspection report, now what?
We can decide whether to negotiate anything in the inspection report. It can be helpful to ask the inspector the following questions:
- Are the flagged items major or minor issues?
- What needs to be done to resolve any flagged issues?
- What is an estimate of the cost of any repairs?
- Is another specific inspection necessary, such as by an electrician or a structural engineer?
- What things need to be done after moving in?
Again, our expertise makes us your partner in helping you understand the implications of the home inspection.
How do you know when to negotiate and when to let go?
We’ll work together to balance how much you want a particular property and what you’re willing to accept to get it.
You may want to let go when:
- A bidding war drives the price too high.
- The appraised value of the home is below your offer.
- A home inspection finds defects too expensive to repair.
- The seller is unwilling to make reasonable repairs.
- You learn about homeowners association rules which won’t work for you.