Home Inspections can be a daunting experience for both buyers and sellers.
Buyers: If you are about to go through one, remember that it will be difficult to find out everything "wrong" with the house you are in love with. You know you love the flow, location, room sizes and updates. But now an inspector is going to go through it and make sure that everything is working properly (just 'cause it's pretty, doesn't mean it works) and make overall home maintenance recommendations too. But that's what home inspections are for, to tell you what is wrong, as well as to give you home maintenance tips and suggestions. So you have a clear picture of what you are buying. This is your chance to make sure the sellers are giving you a house worthy of conveyance, but not a chance to get a "perfect" house. No house is perfect. It's also not your chance to bring a house built in 1950 up to 2011 code. The inspector may point it out, but the seller does not have to rebuild the house for you.
Sellers: You probably don't inspect your home, or pay to have it inspected as a homeowner past the one you got when you purchased it. And yes, most people take care of things when they break, but the average homeowner does not crawl in their attic and walk around with a flashlight or take the cover off the HVAC and make sure the coils are pretty or look underneath the dishwasher for leaks or periodically go and open and close every single window in the house! It is just not how people live.
I never have and bet if I did, there would be a laundry list of things I need to repair. If you don't handle surprises well, as part of your home-sale-prep process, it might be helpful to pay for your own inspection so you know what you will need to do. That said, if you are tight on cash, and can handle the surprises, just be prepared that the inspector will find things you were completely unaware of. And get ready to prep your house well for your future buyer, you would want the same thing for the house you are about to buy as well.
But both buyers and sellers, don't get freaked out by these things. It's part of the real estate sales process and all houses have flaws and all flaws can't be fixed. Good home inspectors will point them all out and good agents will help you prioritize the sometimes overwhelming report you will get from your inspector. Buyers should want to buy a house has been maintained to a level that is worthy of conveyance and that there are no saftey hazards or potential pitfalls down the road due to deferred maintenance. The buyer and the sellers (via their agents) will work out the details and negotiate on the list of repairs that make sure both parties are comfortable.
Coral Gundlach, CRS
Realtor serving Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in Virginia
Thinking of buying or selling a house in Arlington, Virginia or surrounding Northern Virginia communities? There is no general "good time to buy or sell," it's a very personal decision. Contact me for a confidential consultation based on your needs and a free market analysis.
Loved your blog post. Have a wonderful day.
Best Wishes,
Adam R. Cohn
Coral, how many times have we advised sellers to get a pre-list inspection and they insist there is "nothing wrong" with their house. We all know that items that come up in an inspection will be used by a buyer for a credit, repair or renegotiation of price. It's simpler and less expensive for the seller to address it up front.
Hi Coral,I have been trying to get sellers to get Pre-listing inspections. Now that I have turned blue in the face I don't even try anymore.
Great post. Lotsa info.
Clint
Thanks Adam, you too!
Janice: So true. I don't often advise sellers to do it, it depends on who they are and how much they know. But after going through a couple that had pretty long repair lists, I think I might suggest it more often.
Clint: The one time I did do it, was a home that had not been lived in for 5 years and the seller was a conservator and knew nothing about the house. We were selling it "as-is" but people wanted to know about this and that and we could not answer questions. It worked like a charm. As soon as we got that inspection, we gave it to a prospective buyer and he bought the house and saved money himself on an inspection.
Very good points! It is much better to be proactive than reactive. How many times have we seen very expensive unpleasant surprises revealed by a home inspection? Too many to count!
I think that first time buyers can end up in a panic when they hear what home inspectors have to say in a home that is even well maintained. Their job is to get in there and give you life spans on your major systems. A natural life span is quite different than something being wrong, and that's important for a buyer to remember.
Kathryn: Indeed. I'd rather just get it fixed and give the buyers confidence that they are getting a house in great shape.
Chris Ann: Yes, they do. Inspections can be so brutal to endure for first time buyers. That is a good point about life-spans vs. something being wrong. But the inspectors lens is that of perfection and things are always wrong according to them.
Yes, sometimes it's best to be fore warned. Even then, another inspector will point out things that the first one didn't. They are human too. Buyers also need to remember that it isn't the opportunity to get a better price on the house, that's it's really the opportunity to make sure everything is in working order and nothing is seriously wrong.
And Happy Mother's Day too.
Just stopping by to wish the women in our lives Happy Mother's Day!
Jane: Yes that is true, different inspectors will find different issues. That's also a very good point that it's not a change to renegotiate off the price. Happy Mother's Day to you too!
Thanks Russell - Beautiful flowers. How thoughtful. You have a great day too!
Ha! I had a 1952 house the other day with its original 1952 electrical system! Guess what the buyers wanted?
Good on point post. Always helps the seller if THEY know what is wrong with the house, even if they don't fix it before a sale. It helps to evaluate the final sales price kind of like Jay mentioned.
This is a great post on home inspections. I am going to suggest it and reblogg it. Thanks for the good work.
Jay: Um, a 2011 electrical system. Can't blame them, but that's a tough one to sell unless this was marketed as a "remodeled, "like new" home. But if the house was priced appropriately...I'd say the buyers should have expected it.
Jon: It does help to not be taken by surprise.
Gene: Thanks! Appreciate the support.
Interestingly the client's realtor lives just up the street and her house has the original wiring too! So she was not impressed with her client's demands.
Coral:
Nice post for both buyers and sellers. It reminds the buyers that they may not be purchasing a completely remodeled home and they should not expect it to be. You remind the sellers that if they do handle surprises well, they need to have their own inspection done before the house is put on the market. Thanks for sharing.
Well written and to the point, Coral. I tell my sellers 'I guarantee the inspector will find stuff. They always do". That takes the emotional reaction of "there's nothing wrong with my house" out from the get-go.
Home inspections can be a nail-biter for sellers and both sides' agents. Most buyers are not nervous about the outcome (they think the seller will take care of everything) We agents know that the seller has no obligation, and figuring out which items the seller will fix and which ones he will balk at certainly keeps the buyer's agent on edge.
Very good Coral. This is a great article to point all your sellers to. - Joe :)
Our new NC contract says that the buyer can walk during due diligence "for any reason or no reason." Believe me when I say, there is a whole lot of fixin goin-on!
Great article, gives me some great ideas.
Coral: great blog, and I wish EVERYONE would get a pre-list inspection - it can slow things down in the end if/when something is found....I've seen it hundreds of times.
Jay, hope they work it all out.
Evelyn: So much of our job is setting everyone's expectations
Sylvia: I am finding more and more buyers go with the "it doesn't hurt to ask" approach and it works.
Joe: Thanks!
Beverly: Ours can too, sellers usually behave, especially when they get their asking price!
Brenda & Ron: Thanks!
Ellen: Would be nice, but I can understand wanting to save the money if you are a seller and spending a ton anyway.
Perfect timing for this post. I am preparing to sell my house in 6 months, and will definitely have it inspected after I have taken care of the obvious repair requirements and neutralizing of my personal decor. I am looking forward to the entire "Dynamizing" event...Carolyn Huggins
It drives me a little nuts when buyers of an older home want things brought up to 2011 standards...then buy new construction! Or if they know the roof is original and is 20 years old and then ask for a new roof to be put on--you knew going in it would need to be replaced! Perhaps the price reflects that already! Grrrr.... :)
Coral- Great advice for both Buyer and Seller in regards to home inspection. If we don't prep them with proper expectations the deal can blow up for sometimes very minor issues.
Great post as it made me think I should get home inspections for the properties we are re-selling.
If you're buying, selling or just need more information about your present home, having a home inspection makes a lot of sense. And, a licensed and certified home inspector is the only person you should allow to inspect your home or home to be.
An inspector can provide a Seller's home inspection that will give them the heads up on what to expect from the independent home inspection that your potential buyer is sure to have done before the purchase is complete. It will also allow the seller to make a full disclosure about the strengths and weaknesses of their home some of which they might want to deal with in advance of listing the home while they have time to shop and find the best deals and or contractors. The bottom line is, the pre-inspected home will potentially sell faster and for more money.
Many times, the updated homes have the most problems! Great advice to buyers and sellers not to freak out when they see the inspection items...most things can be worked through.
Excellent post packed with lots of good information worth providing to both buyers and sellers. Thanks for sharing.
Very good post. I wish more sellers would have a prelisting inspection done, So many times it could have prevented a buyer from walking away.
Thanks for the good post today. I enjoyed the read.
Patricia/Seacoast NH & ME
THere's always so much stuff that gets caught up in a home inspection. I love the line, "The inspector may point it out, but the seller does not have to rebuild the house for you. " Priceless
Coral:
"The inspector may point it out, but the seller does not have to rebuild the house for you"
I love that line -- so true! =)
Super advice about preparing for inspections. I think too many people don't prepare and not only can a contract be void from a negative inspection, but even small issues can give buyers cold feet.
Gretchen
Coral...lots of great points. Yes, the inspection process can be quite nerve racking for all involved.
Great post Coral! It is the part I hate most both for my buyers and for my sellers. I like when my buyers can be there because just reading the report they produce always sounds much worse than when they tell you about it in person.
Coral - I really like the idea of the seller doing the home inspection. To me it takes a negotiation tool away from the buyer. it gives them a list of things to do to get their asking price. They can get estimates to know costs should they not want to make a repair and a buyer comes in with a low ball offer claiming an exorbitant price for repairs.
Sheesh - a spammer just snuck in here and slammed you with 5 long link comments. You'd think they'd figure out that they aren't welcome here and they'll be history very soon.
Meanwhile - I agree that it's in a seller's best interests to have a pre-inspection and fix things ahead of time. Not only does that give them time to have things done in a more economical manner, but it prevents losing the buyer because they get freaked out over the report or don't want to wait for repairs.
Great post Coral. I just recently learned the hard way that getting my own inspection could have saved the deal. My buyer backed out of the sale at the last second and blamed it on the home inspection (when just days earlier he said the inspection went well). He made all sorts of false statements - bats in the attic, electrical problems that will cause the house to burn down, siding was no good. I knew he was full of it but couldn't back it up so I hired my own home inspector - someone who has been in the business longer than he has been alive. Just as I thought, the home inspection showed no bats, no faulty wiring and no need to replace siding. There are about $200 worth of minor fixes.
Lesson learned! Now I have my own inspection and will be showing it to potential buyers. From this point on, I will be recommending a pre-sale home inspection to all of my sellers to avoid the heartache.
Thank you for sharing this! A thorough, detailed inspector will walk the roof and reveal every finding no matter how big or small so that an informed decision can be made by all parties involved. Have a great day! ~ Jennifer the office girl
I frequently recommend pre-listing inspections to the seller, to make sure they are not surprised later when it comes up.
Super post, Coral! I love the idea of a pre-inpection - too bad most sellers don't want to pay for it!
I would always recommend having a professional pre-sale inspection performed to help with peace of mind at a very stressful time but other options include performing ones own inspection when professional help is just not an option.
Free forms to assist in this are available from;
InterNACHI, http://www.nachi.org/documents/Matrix_Deluxe_Parallel_Form.pdf
InspectAmerica, http://www.inspectamerica.com/html/home_inspection_checklist.html
and at the 4life site, http://www.4lifesite.info/65/free-home-buyers-inspection-form.html
Great post! It's so important for both parties to go into the inspection with realistic ideas and understandings of how it works!
Good Post. I too like to suggest pre-inspections. Most people know what needs fixing around the house if they have lived in it for some time. If their budget allows, I suggest they fix the items that are safety issues and non-working items. This way they can take away many objections up front that a buyers home inspection would uncover.
Wow! Thank you all for the comments. I had no idea this blog was feature-worthy. I am taking my own advice and just got a seller to do a pre-inspection. Hope it goes okay!
Coral,
It is very important to set expectations for the buyers and the sellers.
The buyer is not getting a new house and should not expect the seller to fix everything. They need to know what the seller is legally required to do.
The seller should be coached to expect some things to show up that they did not know about. I like to keep the appliances out of the contract and use them in lieu of repairs.
When representing the buyer, I like to ask the seller to do the repairs because you never know if it will turn into a bigger problem.
When representing the seller, I prefer to give the buyers a credit toward closing costs.
Coral, I appreciate your professional approach to the inspection process! The house is what it is. It all depends how the information is given and received...
Coral, this is a great way to get theseller to view their home realistically and thru the eyes of a potential buyer.
Great post explaining what home inspection is for buyer and seller. Most buyer and seller question why to spend the extra money.