The buyer’s home inspection is an essential way of ensuring your new home is a good investment. But, what happens if the home inspection discovers problems with the property? What does that mean for you?
It is not uncommon to see some items on the home inspection report listed as defective or faulty. The important thing you will want to know is what is defective and how serious is the problem. For example, the report may list problems like loose shingles on the roof, or smoke detectors that are not working correctly but these items are an easy fix and will not cost much to do so. There are other problems, though, that are more serious like mold, wood rot, and structural damage, etc. It will cost a lot more money to fix these problems and may not even be worth it, this may make you want to rethink buying the home or at least renegotiate the deal. While these are only a few of the issues that could show up on the home inspection report, they highlight the importance of a thorough home inspection.
It is often the case that a home inspector is also a licensed contractor. If you have found a home inspector you can trust, should they be the ones to fix the defects they discovered in the house? It is not advisable to do this. The reason is that it could call the accuracy of the home inspection report into question and may look like the defects were found, or the problem has been exaggerated just so that the home inspector could be hired to fix them.
When hiring a home inspector, look for one who is InterNACHI certified and follows InterNACHI’s Code of Ethics. This will give you the confidence that the home inspection has been performed thoroughly.
