In my real estate career I’ve ordered and attended many pre-purchase inspections. I advise my buyers to attend, listen and to take the information in – hopefully without over reacting. The purpose is to find major flaws in the foundation, roofing or the home’s major systems. Inspectors are giving an opinion, and of course, covering themselves by not missing things. Often, the report shows no major problems, but lots of little issues.
Here are the top three little issues that are on 90% of the inspection reports that I see:
- Evidence of past rodent infestation on the crawl space. Almost every home (and especially those in the country) have some rodent excrement underneath.
- Debris in the gutters – inspectors recommend cleaning.
- Earth to ground contact or vegetation too close to the structure. Simple enough – pull those bushes and flower beds away from the house.
Of course, sometimes a home does have major flaws. That is why I recommend a pre-purchase inspection in almost all transactions.
Olympia Real Estate Blog 