Home Inspection for Buyers

The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind,
but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a
short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental
reports, and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with
the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more
overwhelming. What should you do?


Relax. Most of your home inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life
expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues
that really matter will fall into three categories:

1. Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.

2. Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.

3. Safety hazards, such as an exposed live buss bar at the electric panel.

Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be
corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 3).

Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an
inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in
the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Don't kill your deal over
things that don't matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred
maintenance, conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure, or nit-picky items.