Why get a home inspection? Why not just buy it “as is” knowing that almost any problem can be fixed down the road? It depends on many factors including market conditions. In the crazy market a few years ago – when every home on the market had multiple offers, buyers were waiving inspections in order to win the bidding war. This strategy might have won the bidding war, but been a costly error depending on the house’s issues later.
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.
In most real estate offers, buyers include an inspection contingency, allowing the buyer to have a professional inspection and make one of three decisions: #1 Walk (or run) from the transaction while getting a full refund of their earnest money #2 Request either repairs or a finaincial adjustment to the contract (either a lower price or a credit) or #3 Accept the home in its current condition and agree that the inspection contingency is satisfied. An additional tangent is possible – the buyer may request an additional three days to get an expert to look at a system (a roofer is a good example).
Olympia Real Estate Blog 