Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A
home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb
a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports
and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what
you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax. Most of
your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about.
However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
- Major defects. An example of this would be a structural
failure.
- Things
that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.
- Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure
the home.
- Safety
hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to
protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4).
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised
to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything
mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things
that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed
on the seller's disclosure or nit-picky items.
