Are Your Home Inspections Worth The Paper They Are Printed On? | Part II

Welcome back! If you are a returning visitor you likely noticed that last week we unveiled the first part of a new topic on our blog: “Are Your Home Inspections Worth The Paper They Are Printed On?”. We reviewed the difference between seller disclosures and inspections, and how they reflect the buyers, sellers and agents involved. This week we wanted to guide you one step further into the ‘nitty gritty’ of how to evaluate the inspections that are available to you with five key questions.

5 Quality Control Questions

These questions are designed to be applied to the third-party inspections provided by the seller. These often include the general home inspection, roof inspection and termite report. Other common, and often recommended ones include: chimney, sewer/septic, pool & spa (if applicable), electrical, easement and structural analysis.

1. Do you have all the gory details? What inspections are available? What dates were they completed? Who chose the service providers and how? Has any of the recommended work been completed since they were prepared? What associated warranties may be upheld in a property transfer of ownership?
2. What do you know about the service providers of the inspectors/companies? How long have they been in business? Are they a local specialist or a national chain? Is the report part of a homeowner contract with the provider? This is an area where an experienced agent will shine! (On a personal note, we can tell you we take inspections pretty seriously when it impacts our buyers’ best interests! If we see a non-reputable company or some clear conflicts, we will be the first to let you know.)
3. What’s the personal possession situation? Most inspectors are unlikely to move the seller’s personal belongings to reach an area. Sometimes it’s a gentle unwillingness, other times it’s a matter of liability. Photos included in the reports should reveal the condition of the home and how accessible certain areas were. Read the fine print and comments sections carefully for notes on this and if access was more limited than typical.
4. Speaking of fine print…did you read the CYB (cover your butt – excuse our language!)? It’s not uncommon, though it is always annoying, when the fine print reads longer than the actual ‘meat’ of the report. Since many inspectors are literally one-stop shops who are at the home once and have no intention of coming back – they report everything they can find and see in a day. They are also clear to point out their lack of knowledge of past history and quick to eliminate any liability for future damages. Be sure to ask your agent (that’s us!) what the industry standards and acceptable norms are for warranties for roof repair recommendations, termite work, foundation observations, etc.
5. Do the pictures and words tell the same story? Have you ever read a report and wondered if they were talking about the same house?! We have. If the comments and evaluation are different than you expect in many areas…it is time to question how much time the inspector actually spent in the home. When in doubt, consider obtaining your own home inspection during your contingency period from a trusted resource (we have many!).

While this may seem like a great deal of work – the good news is that this is standard part of our job and our commitment to you! We not only ask ourselves these five questions for our buyers, but apply our combined decades of experience with property condition, local service providers and community expertise to every home you view. Our genuine hope is that our maximized knowledge minimizes your stress.

This is a big investment – and you have enough to worry about – we get it. If you have any questions at all – you know where to find us!

Mark & Jason

team@homesofsv.com

408-596-5526

Resources Used:

Checklist For Home Inspections: https://www.thebalance.com/checklist-for-home-inspections-1798682

5 Things You Need to Know About Real Estate Disclosures: http://www.zillow.com/blog/real-estate-disclosures-62807/

What Types of Home Inspections Can a Buyer Do?: https://www.thebalance.com/what-types-of-home-inspections-can-a-buyer-do-1798675