Home buyers need to protect themselves by getting a home inspection. EVEN if it’s tempting to waive the inspection, always get a home inspection. Here’s why.
Home inspections are valuable to home buyers for two reasons:
- You get to know the house’s strengths and weaknesses. This helps you to better negotiate with the seller to fix urgent items.
- You can budget for changes, repairs and replacement where necessary.
Which parts of the home get inspected?
A good quality, thorough home inspector will inspect as much of the house as they have access to. Ask the home seller to move any items that might block access to outlets, attic access, or plumbing.
Home inspections happen within 10 days of solidifying the Purchase and Sale agreement and typically include:
- Structural integrity including foundation and cracks
- Roof, flashing, gutters
- Plumbing (function and signs of leaks)
- Electrical (electrical panel, wiring, outlets inside and outside)
- Appliances
- Windows
- Attic and crawlspaces
- Insulation where accessible
- Garage door and opener
- Heating and air conditioning units, including dryer ventilation
- Pool and pool systems (if applicable)
If Tom Mayer is your Realtor, I add these to the list:
- Sewer connections and scoping with recording
- Fireplace and chimney inspection where applicable
The purpose of a home inspection is to provide information to the home buyer. The home buyer should not expect that everything in the home inspection has to be fixed by the home seller.
Which home inspection issues should I ask a home seller to fix?
Typically, as your Phoenix Real Estate Guide helping you with buying a home, I focus on the items that will cost a significant amount of money and that you may not have the money or desire to fix in the immediate future.
These items affect the basic function of a home and include water heaters, air conditioning units, sewer issues, pools, and roofs, as well as damage, such as leaks and water damage. Some home buyers add replacing the windows or appliances to that list, but typically, that’s only if they’re broken.
How do I negotiate with the home seller about the inspection?
As part of working with home buyers as their Realtor, I thoroughly review the home inspection report with my client and help them determine which items need repair or replacement.
I then reach out to vendors and get two or three estimates on the repair or replacement work. Next, I create a document called the Buyer Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response (BINSR) to give to the seller’s Realtor so they can discuss their response to our requests.
Once the seller responds, I review their response with the home buyer and we discuss what’s acceptable and what’s not. This is the point where you may decide to not purchase the home due to excessive repairs that the seller is unwilling to address.
Should I ask the home seller to fix the inspection issues?
In most cases, home buyers prefer to use their own vendors to do any repair or replacement work rather than having the home seller address the issues. This has the benefit of the home buyer knowing exactly what was done and how it was done.
As your Phoenix Real Estate expert, I work with the home seller’s Realtor on getting compensation for the agreed-upon repairs or replacements. This can take many forms so let me buy you a beverage and we can discuss the options so you understand them clearly.
I hope you found this home inspection information helpful. It’s common to have home buying questions so reach out to me and I’ll walk you through the answers.
