Six Myths Surrounding Home Inspections
According to Realtor Magazine, nearly 70 percent of all homes sold each year will receive a home inspection. Often times confusion remains over what the process does, and doesn’t, involve. Here are six common misconceptions pertaining to home inspections:
The seller is responsible for fixing any concerns found during the inspection.
Homebuyers can ask sellers to fix things, pay for items to be repaired or try to renegotiate the asking price based upon the home inspectors finding. However, the seller can choose to fix what they wish before the sale of their home. Keep in mind there may be items that are required to be fixed to adhere to county codes and guidelines. If you are uncertain, we will be more than happy to clarify any questions you may have.
Buyers need to be present during the entire home inspection process.
Buyers will probably get the most out of the inspection process if they do what the home inspector prefers. If the home inspector prefers to have the buyer show up at the end, the buyer would do best to show up at the end. If the home inspector prefers to have clients attend throughout the process, the buyer should try to be present the whole time.
New construction homes do not require an inspection.
Homebuilders have to meet the minimum requirements of the building code in existence at the time the home is built, but those are minimum requirements and may not reflect the manufacturer's recommendations. There are also many times homebuilders take short cuts to save money or speed up a project. Having an inspection completed by a home inspector before closing can help uncover issues that may exist, and provide a homeowner with peace of mind.
A bedroom must have a closet to be considered a bedroom.
A bedroom should probably have a closet since most buyers expect one, but technically the International Residential Code does NOT mandate a bedroom to have a closet. So the lack of a closet does not necessarily mean a room cannot be a bedroom. However, we must ask, what does the local real estate market expect, and what is required by the local city/county?
A home inspector is only looking out for the best interest of the realtor or seller.
A home inspector's first and foremost responsibility is to look out for their client. An inspector's job is to inform the client of the condition of the home with facts and data to support the findings. Some people may be uncomfortable with using a home inspector that has been recommended by their realtor, especially if they do not know their realtor very well. This is understandable and why everyone should do his or her own research to find the best home inspector possible for the home inspection. It may turn out that the inspector recommended by the Realtor is the Ultimately the choice comes down to the client and it is up to them to make the right choice.
A home inspector should be able to tell me everything that can potentially go wrong with the home I’d like to purchase.
A home inspector is required to report the things that are not functioning properly, especially if they’re unsafe. They will also inform you when certain components and systems are at the end of their service life such as worn-out heating, plumbing or electrical systems.
However, they cannot predict with accuracy, when things will go wrong because they can only account for variables present at the time of inspection.
