Be Sure You Have the Right Home Inspector

Once a home buyer has gotten their offer accepted, they will likely choose to have a home inspection. Buyers should speak to a few inspectors before making their selection. They might get a referral from someone who has purchased recently, or they can check the state website that shows the licensed home inspectors. If a Seller’s Statement of Property Condition is available, the buyer should have reviewed it and signed off on it prior to making their offer so they were aware of the disclosures the seller was making about the property, such as seepage in the basement during heavy rains or a past roof leak now repaired. The home inspector should point out any and all current and potential issues. The buyer should ask the inspector if the condition of the house is consistent with the age of the property. For example, if the seller has disclosed that the roof is 20 years old but it is not leaking then the buyer, already knowing that the roof is old by way of the Seller’s Statement of Property Condition he has already signed, should not be asking the seller to replace the roof because the home inspector has told him it will start to leak at some point in the future. The correct response to the buyer should be that he should put money in his budget to prepare for future replacement when it does start to leak. The most underutilized function of the home inspector is their ability to open things up such as a furnace or circuit breaker panel and show the buyer how it works and what to look for to see if things are going right or wrong. | Read More