A home inspection report sets both buyers and sellers on edge. It may feel like the buyer has the upper hand, but everyone involved is eager for this part of the sale to go well and understand its value in the process. In fact, 90% of homeowners believe that home inspections aren’t a necessity but a luxury. Realising that each side ultimately wants the same thing and that you can work together toward closing a deal, should set all parties more at ease. Start with these 6 home inspection tips for buyers that offer some hidden lessons for sellers too:
Tip #1: Make the inspection official by writing it in as a contract contingency.
Even if a seller isn’t deliberately hiding something, some maintenance issues aren’t apparent to an untrained eye.
What that means for sellers:
Because the home inspection report is written in as a contingency, you should know your options when it comes to repairing negotiations: agree to fix the issue, offer a credit to the buyer at closing, or refuse to take action with the risk that the buyer could walk away with their earnest money. The upside of a home inspection for buyers and sellers is that it puts everything out in the open. Both sides know what a property’s problems are and can negotiate with all facts on the table.
Not many agents will suggest a pre-listing home inspection for buyers or sellers to either tackle maintenance issues early or give buyers a heads-up about certain issues, creating transparency. Wouldn’t you rather know of any problems upfront than have the buyer’s inspector unearth a surprise maintenance issue?
Tip #2: Temper your expectations for a perfect home inspection.
Although a home inspection report is detailed, it doesn’t cover every nook, creak, and cranny. “One expectation that first-time home buyers have is that the inspector is going to find everything wrong with the house, and that’s not the case. We’re there as a guest of the owner, so we’re limited in our ability to inspect things,” as stated in Home Inspection SA’s, Standard Operating Procedures and Code of Ethics.
“We can’t look inside the wall to see if there’s a leak behind the bathroom faucet or the bathtub. We can’t take things apart to see why the dishwasher is making a funny sound. Other than removing the electrical panel, we don’t move furniture or appliances.”
So if there’s a sectional couch in front of the living room windows, for example, the inspector may not be able to reach all the windows to test if one sticks.
What that means for sellers:
The home inspection report assesses a home’s condition. It’s not a report card on how good a homeowner you’ve been or a “pass or fail” test. You may be used to your home and its quirks, but a buyer isn’t, so try not to take anything in the report personally. Also, remember, minor things will always crop up. Whether you’re buying a 10-year or 30-year-old home, you’re going to have issues. Every house has an issue. Trust your agent to help weed through what’s minor and what’s a potential deal-breaker.
Tip #3: Be prepared to attend the inspection and ask lots of questions.
When buyers pay for the home inspection, it’s fairly standard for them to watch the inspector at work. The first thing we always do is ask the client what their concerns are. Maybe they had an issue with a previous house, so they’re sensitive to that. Although we also need elbow room, we might go into and out of the house several times, crouch down to examine something, and make sudden stops, we’re glad to answer any questions the buyer has. You’ll still get a report, but it’s easier to understand a problem when we can explain it to you, and you see what the issue is.
What that means for sellers:
Although buyers need this opportunity, a seller already knows the home and more often than not can get in the way. We have had experiences with buyers clashing with sellers who became defensive or emotional during the inspection. Let your agent supervise the inspection and tell you what the inspector found. (If you’ve had a pre-listing inspection or a maintenance inspection done recently, you’ll already know what’s in store.)
Tip #4: Know when to ask for a repair, take credit, or leave it be.
The home inspection can trigger some delicate negotiations over a property’s flaws. For each, a buyer can request that the seller hire a contractor to fix it, obtain a credit (a reduction in the purchase price) toward fixing it themselves or let it be. Sellers can opt for either or simply reject both and negotiate from there, although that puts the transaction at risk of the buyer walking away. Sellers should repair major structural issues or safety problems, such as a dated roof, or offer credit if they don’t have the funds. Cosmetic imperfections, such as chipped paint or peeling wallpaper, can be left to the buyers to handle once they purchase the property.
What that means for sellers:
If your electrical, gas or plumbing systems, appliances, or geyser are older, talk to your agent about offering a compromise to sweeten the deal. That takes away a lot of problems for the buyer and seller during a home inspection.
Tip #5: Request documentation to prove completed repairs.
While not essential, this can help verify any amenities the seller’s advertising, such as a new roof. If the receipts are out, we’ll look at them. It’s a good thing for a seller to do if they actually did have work done.”
What that means for sellers:
You might already have your receipt handy from a home appraiser, so it doesn’t hurt to let a home inspector view them too, as well as your agent. “If the buyer asked for the documents about the repairs, and it was recently done, then it’s better to give them to us.”
Tip #6: Now’s your chance to get speciality inspections, too.
Although home inspectors are trained and certified to assess several parts of a home, they also can specialise in what are called “ancillary inspections,” or more detailed reviews focusing on individual components. If they don’t have the right expertise themselves, general home inspectors might refer the buyer to speciality inspectors who can more accurately assess components such as the home’s foundation or signs of termites. These types of speciality inspections are an additional fee. Other speciality inspections include mould or pest inspections, swimming pool inspections, and infrared or sewer scans, where they insert a special camera into the sewer line underground to make sure the pipe is functional. If your home is older than 10-15 years, an electrical inspection can point out any repairs needed to bring the property up to code, such as replacing the electrical panel and any outdated wiring and receptacles.
What that means for sellers:
Be prepared for your home to be scrutinised during a home inspection and have patience throughout the various inspections, but do keep tabs on the deadlines of the contract and when the buyer is supposed to have each appointment scheduled.