Kirk Holton Team Blog

You found the house of your dreams! You are elated because you also got a great price and you consider it a “steal.”

Now on to inspections. You receive a referral from a friend for a good inspector. His prices are somewhat high so you call a few others. Also, you ask your agent for a few names….these are all good things to do. Finally, an inspector is chosen and a date set.

All is good. Here is a list of dos and donts regarding inspections.

-Do be present at the inspection

-Don’t expect your agent to meet the inspector and then interpret all of his findings for you. Many important facts can get lost in translation, and even though the inspectors take lots of pictures, there is nothing like being there for good communication.

-This is YOUR inspection time…and it will be YOUR home. The agent can’t begin to be responsible for the inspections or the findings. THIS part of the buying  process is between you and the inspector. Your agent is a bystander.

-Don’t bring the kids, grandma, or friends to see the home at this time. This can be distracting for you AND the inspector.

-Do rely on your inspector for the facts. Uncle Bob means well, but he doesn’t know everything about basements, plumbing, etc. That’s why you are paying a professional.

-Do call in other inspectors if needed. This is your one chance to go over things thoroughly, and if the inspector advises you to call in a heating and cooling expert, licensed plumber, roofer, etc. you should do just that. Your inspector is the general practitioner, the expert is the licensed contractor. Do sit down with your agent to go over the report. -Decide what you want the sellers to repair, replace, or perhaps give you a credit to fix yourself after closing.

-Do go for the truly necessary repairs.

-Don’t nit pick over a lot of details that a handy man can handle in an hour. If you got a great buy on the house, keep that in mind in the negotiations. Obviously, if you paid top dollar and there is a lot wrong with the home, keep that in mind too.

-Do ask for items that concern safety, and the general smooth operation of the home. (Air conditioner not working, leak under the sink, loose banister, etc.)

-Don’t ask for cosmetic items…..(repaint the exterior of the home a darker color, move the fence, etc.)  Obvious visual defects should be mentioned in the contract.

Do keep calm, and treat this procedure as a business transaction and not a personal confrontation. That way, both the buyer and seller usually end up happy with their agreement.