Friday, December 27, 2019 / by Harvey Rosenberg
What You Need to Know about Home Inspections
A home inspection is not a pass or fail grade. In fact, it's often like a school report where you may get an 86% on a test. Consider the following myths about home inspections, both as a buyer and a seller, to get the best out of your transaction.
As we said above, a home inspection is not a pass or fail. Home inspectors determine the condition of the home and provide a report on defects and necessary repairs. It's up to the buyers to determine if they want to continue with the home as-is, work those repairs into the contract, or walk away from the deal.
Just like we mentioned above, this is something to bring to the negotiation table. Not all repairs will be fixed, (that sticky door handle may be worth fixing yourself for instance.) But major repairs, such as a leaky roof, should be part of the negotiation that the seller fixes before the contract is done. This, however, is null and void if you're using an as-is contract. Remember, as a buyer, you can still walk away from the deal.
Inspectors looking for defects, may not necessarily determine if a home is up to code. Plus, since codes change, a home built before a specific standard, may not have to meet that requirement. Remember, just because something is not up to code, does not make it a defect. If you want a code inspection, however, that is often someone else.
A termite inspection should be done by a pest control company and not a home inspector. They may not be trained to know what to look for.
You would think a brand new home would not have defects, but ask anyone who's bought new construction and they'll tell you what went wrong. Builders or contractors may cut corners to get the home done on time. Mistakes also happen. Make sure if you're buying new construction you have a home inspection and possibly a code inspection.
Myth #1 - You can Fail a Home Inspection
As we said above, a home inspection is not a pass or fail. Home inspectors determine the condition of the home and provide a report on defects and necessary repairs. It's up to the buyers to determine if they want to continue with the home as-is, work those repairs into the contract, or walk away from the deal.
Myth #2 - The Seller Will fix all the Defects
Just like we mentioned above, this is something to bring to the negotiation table. Not all repairs will be fixed, (that sticky door handle may be worth fixing yourself for instance.) But major repairs, such as a leaky roof, should be part of the negotiation that the seller fixes before the contract is done. This, however, is null and void if you're using an as-is contract. Remember, as a buyer, you can still walk away from the deal.
Myth #3 - Home INspectors Determine if a Home is Up to Code
Inspectors looking for defects, may not necessarily determine if a home is up to code. Plus, since codes change, a home built before a specific standard, may not have to meet that requirement. Remember, just because something is not up to code, does not make it a defect. If you want a code inspection, however, that is often someone else.
Myth #4 - Home Inspectors check for termites
A termite inspection should be done by a pest control company and not a home inspector. They may not be trained to know what to look for.
Myth #5 - New construction homes doesn't have to be inspected.
You would think a brand new home would not have defects, but ask anyone who's bought new construction and they'll tell you what went wrong. Builders or contractors may cut corners to get the home done on time. Mistakes also happen. Make sure if you're buying new construction you have a home inspection and possibly a code inspection.
