The BRE Guide to Home Inspections
If you are a buyer, here is what you
need to know about home inspections.
We know what falling in love with a home feels like—and if we are honest, it can be hard to acknowledge a home’s flaws when you have already decided it is the place you want to live. That said, home inspections can be intimidating and stressful, but that does not mean they have to be. If you are looking to buy a home, keep reading to learn more about how to successfully navigate this process.
1. Two Words: Contingency Clause
It is not enough to verbally agree with the seller that a home inspection will indeed occur. You are covered by working with your Blakemore Real Estate Realtor® — we ensure it will be written into the contract and completed for the real estate agreement to be binding.
Issues that are not identified and resolved will only hurt you in the long run, so it is best to have your Realtor® address them during the negotiation process rather than waiting until you are the new owner of the home.
2. Manage Your Expectations
Home inspectors are humans, too. They make mistakes just like the rest of us, and they will nt always find every issue a home has. If you think about it, they operate like a guest in a home—meaning they cannot peel back a wall to find a leak, and they are not moving furniture that might be concealing a crack in the wall.
However, the BRE team always has your best interest at heart, and we will recommend our trusted home inspectors to ensure a thorough inspection.
3. Show Up & Ask Questions
An experienced home inspector will ask you about your own concerns upfront and take time to answer any questions you may have. You will still get a detailed report with any identified issues listed, but sometimes it is helpful to get an explanation right then and there. That said, your presence at the end of an inspection—within the final 30 minutes—is strongly encouraged.
4. Credit, Repair, or Leave it be?
When it comes to addressing the severity of a home issue, it can be hard to decide how to proceed. To ensure you have a smooth negotiation process, our Realtors® categorize remedies for different issues:
Your Realtor® could negotiate with the sellers to provide a Monetary Credit for any structural problems currently affecting the home or will in the future.
You could ask the seller to conduct repairs for any mechanical or safety issues to the home, such as roofing, plumbing, electrical, or HVAC before closing.
If you notice a squeaky door, peeling paint, or any cosmetic defects, consider how important they are to you. Chances are, you will want to personalize the home once you become the owner anyway.
If you are a seller, here is what you
need to know about home inspections.
We get it. When you are ready to move into your next home, you tend to grow tired of the laundry list of issues you may have with your current home. You might be wondering, ‘Is this really something I need to worry about?’, and that is where we come in. If you are looking to sell your home soon, keep reading to learn more about how you can prepare for a successful home inspection.
1. Trust your Realtor®
If you have never been through the home inspection process, we understand it can be intimidating. Lucky for you, your Realtor® has been through this exact process more times than they can probably count. Our team of BRE Realtors® are well-versed and will:
Ensure you understand common home maintenance issues
Create a plan of action for common repairs
Recommend our trusted vendors and contractors
Negotiate on your behalf based on the results
2. Do not rush!
We recommend to plan a day out for yourself while the home inspector is completing the inspection. Try to make sure you have something to do away from your home for 2-4 hours so the home inspector can thoroughly complete their job, and the buyer feels comfortable.
3. Ensure the house is fully operational and accessible
Home inspectors will check to make sure all appliances are working, so it is essential to keep all of your utilities — gas, water, and electricity — fully operational for the inspection. You will want to ensure all house systems and appliances like water heaters, furnaces, and plumbing are accessible by the home inspector as well. Please note this is critical even for vacant homes. So depending on the current state of your home, you might need to plan.
4. Prepare for maintenance
If you are the type of person usually getting an “A” on every test you take, you might want to brace yourself for a less than perfect score on your home inspection. The home inspector will almost always have a list of findings, but don’t panic! It is their job to report on everything they find, both big and small. The small repairs can be an easy fix, and our BRE Realtors® will negotiate on your behalf on all of the large, time-consuming projects.
5. Consider Previous Remodeling
If you have never personally had any work done on your home, you may think this does not apply to you. However, there is always a possibility that previous remodeling will affect the home inspection results. These issues are not always problematic for a homeowner, and may not necessarily ever be revealed to you until it is time to sell — though they should be as part of the sellers’ disclosures when you bought the house.
We recommend providing as much insight as you can based on what you do know about the previous remodeling, and then stepping back to let the home inspector do what they do best. Only worrying about what you can control will ensure a much better experience.
6. Reveal, Don’t Conceal
We know it can be tempting to turn a blind eye to deferred maintenance in your home, especially when the time comes to sell. To reduce stress, try to get a grip on everything that might need fixing before your home inspection, rather than attempting to conceal or ignore repairs. We recommend completing your own mini home inspection before the expert comes in. If you take the time to assess your home before the formal inspection, it can pay off in big ways and potentially save time in negotiations.
Free Download: Pre-Inspection Checklist
Use this checklist to know what to expect before you inspect or as a way to give your home a check up on the inside and out. This should not replace a formal home inspection but be used a pre-test to set you up for success! Free download. No opt-in. Just information. The honest way of doing real estate.
