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Home Inspection – Don’t Waive Your Rights
You’ve found your dream house, the contract is signed, and the clock is running. The last thing you need is another expense right? Well, expense or not a home inspection by a qualified professional Home Inspector is a must. Saying no to this part of your real estate transaction is equivalent to waiving your rights. If for example, you find after you’ve moved in that there is a dry rot problem. If you’ve waived your inspection, you have no recourse but to have the damage fixed yourself.
If you are handy with repairs or you know someone who is, this is not the time for do-it-yourself. A professional licensed and bonded home inspector is what you need. They have been trained and know what to look for, a licensed inspector can spot trouble with ease, and will give you a very detailed report of his/her findings.
So how do you find an inspector, ask your agent. Your agent should be able to give you the names and contact information for at least 3 inspectors. A bit of telephone work on your part will have an inspector hired and an appointment set up.
When it is time for your inspection, don’t just leave it to the inspector and your agent, plan to be there. Follow the inspector through the house. Ask questions, let them know you are interested in your new home and taking care of it. Inspectors have a wealth of knowledge, and are usually very open to answering questions — you may want to wait until he/she’s crawled out from under the kitchen sink, or has seemed to complete the task — before you ask.
In a day or two of the inspection, you will receive an inspection report. Have your agent go over this with you. In it there will be a list of problems or potential problems that need to be corrected. At this time you will need to make a decision;
- Terminate the sale – if there is major damage you may want to send an addendum to the seller letting them know that the home failed your inspection and you are terminating the sale.
- Request repair – If there are a few things that need to be repaired or replaced, you may want to notify the seller of the needed repairs and begin negotiations for getting those repairs taken care of.
- Accept the inspection and proceed to closing – If there are no problems or damage or if the damage is slight and easily taken care of with little expense, you can let the seller know that the home inspection is satisfied and you are proceeding to close.
- Request additional inspection and extend inspection time frames – if the inspector suggest an independent inspection for pests, mold, etc. An addendum would be needed to advise the sellers that additional inspection(s) are needed and asking for an extension to your inspection time.
Unfortunately, there are many things that can and do happen to homes. Some of it noticeable but many things are not. An inspector, can find hidden problems, before you invest your hard earned money. Just another way to protect yourself and your rights during the purchase of your new home.
November 11th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
You are so right – there is a reason that you had the home inspection in the first place. If you aren’t happy with the results don’t forfeit your right, put your foot down and have the problem fixed. If they won’t fix it, you probably don’t want to move into it.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
@ Building Inspector,
All very true, thank you for stopping by the site and taking a moment to leave a comment. The home inspection process is a crucial part of buying a home and should be taken seriously, I encourage every home buyer, and seller for that matter, to find a trustworthy and licensed inspector in your area, before signing any contracts.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:30 am
A professional pre-purchase home inspection can reduce anxiety by screening for problems and itemizing them in a comprehensive report. This home inspection report may include approximations of repair costs and recommendations of useful upgrades to the property systems. The general result of a professional home inspection is that property buyers make significantly more informed purchases.
Screening for Problems: All homes have strong and weak points, they are not always what they seem. Gain the perspective and sound information you need to make better decisions with a home inspection performed by an experienced professional home inspectors. A good home inspectors works through a very long checklist of potential concerns to identify the major and minor deficiencies in the home. A good report will clearly describe the problems and illustrate them along with the what-to and how-to of repairs.
Provide Owners Benefits: Home owners who are planning to make improvements to their homes in order to increase its market value would be well advised to have it inspected first. A home inspectors can help prioritize home improvements and offer advice on the best ways to approach repairs. More importantly, an inspectors can help the seller identify potential or undiscovered problems before those problems become material for contract contingencies. By taking a pro-active approach one can avoid the frustrations many owners encounter when they are asked to re-negotiate their contracts because of unanticipated problem areas.
Credentials: Like any other professional, home inspectors (even those with licenses) have varied degrees of expertise. All home inspectors should be carefully screened. Inspectors learn from experience. It takes a few thousand inspections and a more than a few complaints for a home inspectors to LEARN what it takes to satisfy clients. I spent seven years as a construction contractor prior to becoming a home inspectors in 1993. I have taught the New Jersey home inspection training class to new inspectors for a few years. I still see things I have never seen before. Would you want the biggest investment of your life inspected by a person who took a three week training class? RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION ALLOWS NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTORS TO BE LICENSED WITH AS LITTLE AS THREE WEEKS OF CLASS ROOM TRAINING AND JUST ONE WEEK IN ACTUAL HOMES. LICENSING IS A MINIMUM QUALIFICATION. MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR RESUME!