WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Buying a home? A real estate agent
can help to guide you through the process and help
to make your transaction a smooth one. However, you
will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short
period of time when you invest in a home. Your home
inspection will be an important part of this process.
This includes a written report along with photographs
and what the inspector says during the inspection.
This combined with the seller's disclosure along with
other specialty inspections and things in the home
that you notice yourself can make the experience a
bit overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax! Most of your home inspection will be maintenance recommendations and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will typically fall into four categories:
- Major Defects such as a structure failure.
- Things that lead to major defects such as a roof-flashing leak, for example.
- Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home.
- Safety hazards, such as lack of electrical Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter protections (GFCIs).
Anything in these categories should definitely be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect 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. Try to keep things
in perspective in that no home is perfect. You don't
want to kill your deal over things that don't
really matter and minor imperfections. It's a
buyer's market, so be careful to demand that
a seller address deferred maintenance items and conditions
already listed on the seller's disclosure.
With this in mind, know that investing in a home can be a great experience! But also know that being a homeowner requires periodic maintenance of items and components in and around the residence (typically minor things such as keeping your gutters free from debris, etc.) to avoid situations that might lead to more serious problems in the future of your home.
In your decision of investing in a home, let your Certified Home Inspector do his or her job, so you can relax and focus on the things that really matter. |
