Hello Blogland!
I want to talk a little about home inspections in this post. I have been watching lots of HGTV and TLC and I see these flippers who go in and buy a house, hoping to flip it qucikly and makes tons of money, only to find that it has lots of problems that end of costing them more money than they ever imagined. I am sitting there in my comfy chair with my Diet Coke and I wondering what are these people thinking?!?! Why would anyone buy a house without an inspection?!?! Usually the buyers get in there and there are all kinds of problems like electrical, plumbing, things not being up to code, termites, structural problems and many others. I can't understand why the agent who is working with these people aren't suggesting, very strongly, to get a home inspection prior to closing.
What is a home inspection, exactly? Its where the buyer has their inspector, (the buyer pays for the inspection) go to the home and do a thorough examination of everything; the electrical system, the plumbing lines, septic tank, roof, heating and air conditioning systems, cosmetic issues, attic insulation.....anything that the buyer needs to know about to help him in his decision about whether or not to purchase the house. Sometimes there are leaks in the basement or roof that the seller hasn't disclosed, sometimes mold issues or bats in the attic. There can also be termite damage. These are things that once the buyer knows about, they can go back to the seller and ask them to fix the problems, ask the seller to lower the price so that the buyer himself can cover the expenses, or completely walk away from the deal with a full refund of their earnest money. If you are buying a home, whether new consruction or a resale, it is very much worth the $250-$300 investment of a home inspection. The inspection will typically last around 3 hours and then the inspector will go over the report with you. They usually take pictures so that you can see where the problem actually is and this is the information that your agent needs when communicating with the seller's agent. Normally the buyer asks for everything on the list. I don't recommend this because the sellers usually get offended or mad or both and then things can become a contest of wills. I counsel my clients to address the big items, the important make or break things ihat must be done and start there. If sellers see you are trying to work with them, and you have the pictures and information from a home inspector to back up what you are asking for, they are much more likely to complete the work you have requested. Usual requests that we see from the selling side and ask for from the buying side are having the septic tank cleaned and pumped, having the HVAC system serviced by a licensed technician, and having a termite letter and transferrable bond provided by the seller. If rails are loose we may ask for those to be repaired as well. And if we are buying a home that has had a finished basement completed by the homeowner, we ask that a licensed electrician check all the electrical work and that a licensed plumber check all the plumbing. Be sure that if you are working with another agent (you should be working with us :) )that they are very specific about who checks what. If you ask to have an electrician check something the sellers uncle Bob could be an electrician, or thinks he is, and that is who will be doing the work you request. Be sure that you always ask for a licensed whatever and ask them to provide receipts for all the work done at the final walk through.
Buying a home is a big, exciting experience and you need the best team out there working for you! Call me or Donna today and let us help you with your next home purchase!
Please visit us at www.YourDynamicDuoTeam.com