What a Home Inspection Really Means

Question: I hired a home inspector to evaluate a residence I'm trying to buy. Now that the inspection is done, it seems that I was ripped off.  My inspector found a long list of problems with the house, including defects with the electrical wiring, the furnace, the skylights and a whole lot more. But when I presented the sellers with the report and demanded repair of each and every item, they broke off negotiations and refused to sell me the house. What's the use of a home inspection if all it does is blow the deal or force me to buy the house in as-is condition?

Answer: First, no one is forcing you to buy the house. Your inspector has provided you with pertinent information. What you do with that knowledge is a matter of choice, to be exercised with prudence and thoughtful consideration.

Second, common sense dictates that if the home has problems with the electrical wiring and furnace, the inspection report for which you paid hundreds of dollars may have saved you thousands.

Finally, it is essential that you gain a clearer understanding of the position an inspection report occupies in a real estate transaction. The purpose of a home inspection is to get a clear indication as to the overall quality and general condition of the property. Upon viewing the report, you need to make some reasonable assessments:

1. Is this house still worth buying?                                                                                                                                                    2. What repair items are considered immediate structural or safety issues that sellers should be expected to address?                                                                                                                                 3. What items should be regarded as routine maintenance, not requiring immediate attention?

The inspection report is not a shopping list of demands with which to extort the seller. There is a big difference between presenting a reasonable list of repair requests, consistent with the property's asking price, and issuing a manifesto of demands.

Negotiations should transpire until a mutually satisfying result is achieved.  Defects involving electrical wiring & gas fixtures are conditions that need to be addressed, and most sellers understand this. Repair requests involving significant problems of this nature are usually regarded as reasonable and acceptable.

Common miscellaneous conditions such as gate repairs, door adjustments, repainting or the pruning of shrubbery are included in an inspection report purely for disclosure purposes. A thorough inspector will inform you of such conditions so that you will be fully aware of what you are buying.

Too many transactions fall through because buyers use a home inspection report as a reimbursement of grievances. My recommendation is to weigh the importance of every disclosure in the report, with the understanding that there is no such thing as a perfect house.